Toronto Municipal Election · Oct 2026
Roy Samathanam Ward 17 · Don Valley North
Candidate for City Councillor · 2026

Four streets, one neighbourhood, every resident answered.

Don Valley North runs from Steeles down to the 401, Bayview across to Victoria Park. Roy Samathanam is running to make sure every household inside that boundary gets a councillor who returns the call.

Meet Roy Raise an issue

The boundary, plainly

Ward 17 · Don Valley North

STEELES AVE E HIGHWAY 401 BAYVIEW AVE VICTORIA PARK AVE 115,590 residents
Where the work is

Four things Roy will push on from day one

Not a wish list — four items a councillor can actually move at City Hall, in committee, and through the local office.

Transit that shows up

Reliable service on the 39 Finch East and 25 Don Mills corridors, and real accountability on Line 4 and the Sheppard East corridor.

Housing people can stay in

Support tenants facing above-guideline rent increases, and hold developers to the community benefits they promise.

A local office that answers

Every call and email logged, and a written reply within two business days. No case closed without telling you why.

Clean, safe public space

Faster 311 turnaround on illegal dumping, park maintenance and winter clearing along school walking routes.

Start here

Need something today?

You don't have to wait for an election to get help. These are the numbers that solve most problems in Toronto.

911, 311 or 211?

Knowing which number to call saves hours. Plain-language guidance for each, plus a newcomer's checklist.

Open Resources

What council just decided

By-laws and council decisions from this year, written in language you can actually use.

Read updates

Bring us a problem

Tenant issues, TTC, garbage, child care, animal services, local jobs, development.

Contact the office

About

Meet Roy

Roy Samathanam arrived in Canada in 1990 at nineteen and has lived in Don Valley North for over twenty years. He is running for City Councillor in the October 2026 municipal election.

Introduction

Roy Samathanam

Candidate · City Councillor · Ward 17 Don Valley North

I landed in Canada in 1990, nineteen years old, and had two jobs within seven days.

The first was a full-serve Esso. In 1990, full-serve meant you stood outside no matter what the temperature was doing. Drivers sat with the heat blasting while I worked the metal nozzle, the ice-cold squeegee, and the hoods that had to be unlatched to check a dipstick. A car would roll over the black rubber hose across the driveway, the bell would go ding-ding inside the station, and the gloves went back on for another trip into the cold.

Nights were the second job. Sundays were the choir pews with Pastor Bitner — the warmest hours of the week, and the ones that kept the rest of it upright.

That gas bar was not just a first job. It was the training ground for the resilience most newcomers here are running on right now. I have carried it through twenty years of operations work, a tenants' association, coaching at Cummer Park, and more development consultations on Sheppard than I can count.

Residents here are not asking for much. They are asking for the bus to come, the garbage to be picked up, and someone to pick up the phone when neither happens.

Don Valley North has changed enormously since I moved here. Fairview and Bayview Village have grown up around us. Seneca brings thousands of students through every term. Nearly six in ten of us were born outside Canada. That mix is our strength, but it also means a councillor's office has to work in more than one language and understand more than one way of asking for help.

I am running on three commitments: answer every resident, show my work publicly, and spend the ward's money as carefully as I spend my own. If that sounds unremarkable, it should be. It is the baseline, and we should expect it.

Running for
City Councillor, Ward 17
Election day
October 2026
In Canada since
1990
Languages
English, Tamil
See the ward Get in touch
About

Ward Details

Everything you need to know about Ward 17 — its number, its name, who represents it today, and exactly where its borders run.

17Ward number
Don Valley NorthWard name
Shelley CarrollCurrent councillor
115,590Residents (2021 census)

Community council

North York Community Council. Ward 17 was created in 2018 when the province redrew Toronto's map to 25 wards.

Current councillor

Shelley Carroll has represented Ward 17 since December 2018, and served on City Council since 2003. She chairs the Budget Committee.

Next election

Toronto's municipal election is scheduled for October 2026. Ward 17 will elect one councillor.

Borders

Where Ward 17 begins and ends

The ward is a four-sided block. If you can name the four roads, you can tell in seconds whether an address is inside it.

Google Map — Don Valley North

Pan and zoom the live map of the ward area.

The boundary, road by road

Ward 17 as defined in provincial legislation.

Steeles Ave E — north Highway 401 — south Bayview Ave — west Victoria Park Ave — east Bayview Woods–Steeles Hillcrest Village Bayview Village Don Valley Village Henry Farm Pleasant View

Starting where Bayview Avenue meets the northern city limit: south along Bayview to Highway 401, east along the 401 to Victoria Park Avenue, north along Victoria Park to the city limit, then west back to the start.

Bayview Village Bayview Woods–Steeles Hillcrest Village Don Valley Village Henry Farm Pleasant View
Add the exact ward outline to the Google map (needs an API key)

The embedded map above works with no setup, but a keyless embed can't draw a boundary. To trace the real outline, download the ward polygon from the City of Toronto Open Data portal (dataset: City Wards, GeoJSON), then load it with the Google Maps JavaScript API:

<div id="ward-map" style="height:460px"></div>
<script>
function initMap(){
  const map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById('ward-map'), {
    center: {lat: 43.7810, lng: -79.3500}, zoom: 12
  });
  // City of Toronto Open Data → "City Wards" → GeoJSON, filtered to Ward 17
  map.data.loadGeoJson('data/ward-17.geojson');
  map.data.setStyle({
    strokeColor: '#2E9BDD', strokeWeight: 3,
    fillColor: '#2E9BDD', fillOpacity: 0.12
  });
}
</script>
<script async src="https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?key=YOUR_KEY&callback=initMap"></script>

Then replace the <iframe> in the "Google Map" panel with that <div id="ward-map">.

Community

Resources

Three numbers cover almost every problem in Toronto. Select any card below to see what it's for, when to use it, and what to expect.

Community

Events

What's on across Don Valley North — community centres, parks, libraries and school gyms. Choose a season.

JunSat

Movie night in the park

Free outdoor screening with popcorn. Bring a blanket; seating starts at dusk.

Parkway Forest Park

JulTue

Farmers' market season

Weekly market with local growers and prepared food vendors. Runs to early October.

Bayview Village area

JulWed

Environment Day — free giveaways

Drop off household hazardous waste and electronics; pick up free compost and a reusable bag.

Announced by the councillor's office

AugSun

Summer community BBQ

Neighbourhood barbecue with children's activities and information tables from local services.

Oriole Community Centre

SepSat

Back-to-school supply drive

Donate or collect notebooks, backpacks and calculators for local elementary students.

Fairview Library District branch

OctSat

Fall clean-up and leaf sweep

Volunteer morning clearing ravine trails and storm grates before the first freeze.

East Don Parkland trailheads

OctSun

Pumpkin parade

Bring your carved pumpkin the night after Halloween; everything is composted on site.

Cummer Park

NovSat

Winter coat exchange

Drop off clean outgrown coats and boots, take what your family needs. No questions asked.

Local community centres

DecFri

Outdoor rinks open

Free public skating and shinny times. Helmets required for children.

Cummer Park and Bayview Village rinks

DecSat

Holiday food drive

Non-perishables and grocery cards for food banks serving Don Valley North.

Fairview Mall collection point

JanWed

Snow clearing clinic

What the City clears, what you must clear, and how to request help if you're a senior.

Online and at the ward office

FebMon

Family Day activities

Free swims, skating and drop-in programs across North York community centres.

City-run recreation centres

MarSat

Free tax clinic

Volunteer-prepared returns for eligible residents on modest incomes. Bring your slips and ID.

Library and community centre sites

AprSat

Clean Toronto Together

Twenty-minute makeover: grab a bag and gloves and clear your own block.

Ward-wide

MaySat

Tree and shrub planting

Volunteer planting in the ravine system with the City's urban forestry team.

East Don Parkland

MayThu

Newcomer welcome night

Settlement agencies, language classes, school registration and job services under one roof.

Parkway Forest Community Centre

Dates and locations are confirmed each season. Call 647-624-5079 or email roysamathanam@royward17.ca to have an event added.

Stay informed

News & Updates

By-laws and council decisions passed this year, explained in plain language — plus what's happening around the ward season by season.

2026 · City Council

By-laws and decisions passed this year

Each item says what changed, who it affects in Don Valley North, and what you need to do — if anything.

Housing2026

Rental Renovation Licence Bylaw

Landlords must now hold a City licence before starting repairs or renovations that require tenants to move out under the provincial N13 process. To get one they must notify tenants of the application and settle the tenant’s arrangements — either temporary accommodation during the work, monthly rent-gap payments if the tenant is returning, or compensation if they are not.

The City’s stated aim is to protect tenants from bad-faith evictions and preserve affordable rental housing. Note that the eviction process itself sits with the Landlord and Tenant Board, not the City.

What it means here: if you live in the apartment corridors along Sheppard or Don Mills and receive an N13 notice, ask whether your landlord holds a licence before you agree to anything — then call our office.

Read the City’s bylaw page →

Waste2026

Recycling inquiries moved to Circular Materials

As of January 1, 2026, residential recycling inquiries — including missed collections and blue bin service requests — no longer go through the City. They go to Circular Materials at 1-888-921-2686. Garbage and organics questions still go to 311.

For houses with daytime collection, green bin organics are picked up weekly while garbage and recycling alternate weeks. The 2026 schedules are published as PDFs, and the TOwaste app puts your collection day on your phone.

What it means here: this is the change most likely to waste your time in 2026. Calling 311 about a missed blue bin will get you redirected. Save the Circular Materials number.

Check your collection schedule →

Roads2026

Ward 17 local roads moving to 30 km/h

Council’s Vision Zero plan set all local roads across Toronto to a 30 km/h limit, rolled out ward by ward with priority to wards with higher pedestrian and cyclist collision rates. The program began in 2021 and is planned for completion by 2028. Ward 17’s reduction went to North York Community Council as item NY22.24.

Signs go up at neighbourhood entry and exit points rather than on every street, so residents often feel there is too little signage at first. On local roads the limit is 30 km/h whether or not you can see a sign.

What it means here: if speeding is a problem on your street, submit a service request through 311 — the City also publishes a Safe Speeds Toolkit for neighbourhood concerns.

Read about speed limit reductions →

Sources: City of Toronto. Each item links to the City page it came from — follow the link for the full details and any changes made since.
Around the ward

Season by season

A quick read on what to expect and what to do at this time of year.

Summer

Movie nights, farmers' markets, Environment Day and the community BBQ. Watch for water restrictions and check on elderly neighbours during heat warnings.

Fall

Leaf collection, ravine clean-ups, the pumpkin parade and the coat exchange. Register children for winter recreation programs early — spots go fast.

Winter

Outdoor rinks, holiday food drives and Family Day programming. Sidewalks must be cleared within 12 hours of snowfall ending.

Spring

Free tax clinics, Clean Toronto Together, tree planting and the newcomer welcome night. Spring is also when the City sets the final property tax bill.

See the full events calendar

647-624-5079
roysamathanam@royward17.ca
Tell us what's wrong

Areas of concern

Select the area closest to your issue to see what the office can do and what to have ready when you call.

Rent increases above the guideline, repairs the landlord won't make, heat or pest problems, and eviction notices. Bring your lease, dated photos, and copies of written requests to your landlord.Also: RentSafeTO via 311
Missed buses, crowding, bus stop placement, shelter and bench requests, accessibility at stations, and Wheel-Trans issues. Note the route number, direction, date and time — it makes the complaint actionable.Also: TTC Customer Service
Stray or injured animals, wildlife in the attic, barking complaints, dog licensing, and off-leash area requests. For an aggressive animal or a bite in progress, call 911 first.Also: Toronto Animal Services via 311
Waitlist position, fee subsidy applications, before-and-after school programs, and new child care spaces in local developments. Have your application number and children's dates of birth ready.Also: City child care subsidy office
Hiring events, employment services, youth summer jobs, and connections to employers around Fairview, Consumers Road and Seneca. We can also point you to credential assessment support.Also: Employment Ontario · 211
Missed pickups, illegal dumping, bin size changes, damaged or stolen bins, and litter in laneways and parks. A photo with a visible address speeds this up considerably.Also: Solid Waste via 311
Registration problems, program cancellations, pool and rink schedules, welcome policy fee assistance, and requests for new programming at local centres.Also: City recreation registration
Rezoning applications, construction noise and dust, lane closures, shadow and traffic studies, and community consultation dates. Quote the application address so we can pull the file.Also: City Planning