Toronto 2026/Ward 17/Roy Samathanam
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Roy Samathanam

Campaign site
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Running for
Councillor
Ward 17
Don Valley North
Days until polls open
0

About Roy

Written by Roy Samathanam in answer to our questionnaire, and published as given. Not our description of them.

Roy Samathanam has called Ward 17 home since the day he arrived in Canada in 1990 at just 19 years old. Within his first week in Canada, he started working two jobs, beginning with a full-service Esso gas station. Those early experiences taught him the value of hard work, resilience, and serving others.

With more than 20 years of experience in operations, Roy brings practical leadership and a strong understanding of the challenges faced by working families, tenants, and local communities. His experience with a tenants’ association and participation in development consultations along Sheppard Avenue have given him a firsthand understanding of the issues affecting residents in the riding.

Roy is committed to making Ward 17 a safer, more affordable, and better-connected community. His priorities include **crime prevention, improved transportation, and a 0% property tax increase**.

As a longtime resident of Ward 17, Roy understands the importance of listening to residents and being accountable for every taxpayer dollar. He believes City Hall should focus on practical solutions, responsible spending, and building a community where residents feel safe, heard, and respected.

Roy is running to bring his experience, community involvement, and commitment to public service to Toronto City Council.

Our questionnaire

Where Roy Samathanam stands

Roy Samathanam’s own answers to the questions we put to every candidate, published as given — including, where they wrote one, their reasoning in their own words.

Five decisions facing the next council

Should Toronto permit substantially more housing as-of-right in every ward, including areas currently dominated by detached and semi-detached homes?

  • Roy Samathanam    Yes

    Yes, with a strong focus on affordable housing. Increasing supply can help address Toronto’s housing shortage, but new development should also consider existing communities, infrastructure, transit, and local services.

When a person living in a park has been offered an available indoor space that meets their accessibility, safety and household needs, should the city require them to leave the encampment?

  • Roy Samathanam    Yes

    Yes, when a suitable indoor space is available and meets the person’s accessibility, safety, and household needs, with appropriate alternatives and support arranged. The transition should be handled respectfully and with compassion.

Should Toronto introduce road-pricing measures, such as congestion charges or tolls, if the revenue is dedicated to transportation improvements?

  • Roy Samathanam    No

    No. I would not support introducing congestion charges or road tolls. Residents already face significant costs, and I would instead focus on improving transportation through better use of existing resources and reducing waste in the City’s budget.

Should Toronto raise additional local revenue to address its infrastructure repair backlog rather than defer maintenance while seeking funding from other governments?

  • Roy Samathanam    No

Should Toronto publish project-level budgets, schedules and performance updates for all major capital projects?

  • Roy Samathanam    Yes

Public safety and public space

Which approach should receive the greatest additional investment to improve public safety?

  • Roy Samathanam    Mental-health response, addiction treatment and youth intervention

Over the next council term, the Toronto Police Service budget should:

  • Roy Samathanam    Remain approximately constant after inflation

How should Toronto govern automated licence-plate readers and similar surveillance technology used on public streets?

  • Roy Samathanam    Allow police and approved organizations to deploy them under existing privacy law

Transit and transportation

What should receive the greatest share of the next available transit funding?

  • Roy Samathanam    More frequent and reliable service on existing routes

When there is not enough street space for every use, which should generally receive priority?

  • Roy Samathanam    Transit, walking and cycling

Housing and growth

If Toronto could make one major housing intervention this term, which should receive the greatest emphasis?

  • Roy Samathanam    Permit substantially more housing as-of-right

What should be Toronto's primary role in delivering affordable and supportive housing?

  • Roy Samathanam    Supply land, funding and incentives to non-profit and private providers

Where should Toronto permit the greatest increase in housing density?

  • Roy Samathanam    Concentrate growth on major streets and near rapid transit

City government and service delivery

Which change would you implement to reduce the cost of building housing in Toronto?

  • Roy Samathanam    Reduce development charges, parkland payments and related levies

What is the most important change Toronto should make to reduce capital-project delays and cost overruns?

  • Roy Samathanam    Strengthen professional project management, procurement and contracting

Which service-delivery model should Toronto use more often?

  • Roy Samathanam    Expand permanent city staff and internal operational capacity

Taxes, spending and fiscal sustainability

Over the next council term, residential property-tax revenues should generally:

  • Roy Samathanam    Grow more slowly than inflation, requiring service restraint or alternative revenues

Which type of additional revenue should Toronto rely on most heavily?

  • Roy Samathanam    Land-transfer taxes, development charges and taxes on real-estate activity

What should Toronto do first to address its infrastructure repair backlog?

  • Roy Samathanam    Introduce a levy or other recurring source reserved for maintenance

Governance and representation

What should be Toronto's primary approach to the provincial government?

  • Roy Samathanam    Align with provincial priorities where doing so secures funding or approvals

Strong mayor powers should be used mainly for:

  • Roy Samathanam    overriding council on zoning and approvals to get homes built

Your ward and your record

Which objective should receive the greatest attention in your ward during the next council term?

  • Roy Samathanam    Transit, roads, parks, waste collection and local infrastructure

Which single result should voters use to assess your performance at the end of the term?

  • Roy Samathanam    Safer, cleaner and better-maintained streets and public spaces

Priorities and trade-offs

Over the next council term, Toronto should:

  • Roy Samathanam    Remove or redesign lanes that fail defined safety, ridership or congestion standards

When demonstrations substantially block transportation or access to essential institutions, the city should prioritize:

  • Roy Samathanam    Protect protest subject to clear rules for locations, access routes and duration

Where should Toronto direct its next major technology investment?

  • Roy Samathanam    Permits, licences, payments and service requests

When Toronto faces a structural operating-budget gap, what should it do first?

  • Roy Samathanam    Reduce internal administration, staffing or contract costs

What is the most important municipal intervention for improving Toronto's business climate?

  • Roy Samathanam    Expand housing, transportation, public safety and infrastructure

How should Toronto attract major employers, investment and events?

  • Roy Samathanam    Direct financial bids, tax measures or customized agreements

What should Toronto prioritize to increase construction capacity?

  • Roy Samathanam    Expand apprenticeships, training and recognition of international credentials

What should receive the greatest priority in Toronto's public-realm budget?

  • Roy Samathanam    Cleanliness, roads, sidewalks, snow clearing, washrooms and routine park care

What should be Toronto's primary tool for supporting arts, culture and nightlife?

  • Roy Samathanam    Grants, city facilities and affordable cultural space

If autonomous taxi services operate in Toronto, which condition should the city prioritize?

  • Roy Samathanam    Accessibility, geographic coverage and minimum service standards

Each card is one question, with Roy Samathanam filed under the answer they gave and their own words underneath it. The other options offered are not shown, nor how the rest of the field answered.

How the whole city answered

Registered candidates from the City Clerk’s official list, refreshed daily. Campaign sites are linked as published by the candidate; a link is not an endorsement.

Everyone running in Don Valley NorthWhere the whole field stands