Skip to main content

← Councillor - Ward 17 (Don Valley North)

Roy Samathanam

Candidate for Councillor - Ward 17 (Don Valley North)

In their own words

This candidate hasn’t listed a campaign website or social account with the Town. That says nothing about them as a candidate — it just means less of their material is published online for us to summarise.

Where they stand

Every candidate in this race is shown against the same 16 issues, in the same order, whether or not we’ve found something for each one. Why we do it this way.

Housing

Will I be able to afford to live here?

Roy Samathanam would prioritize affordable, accessible housing plus incentives and support for low-income households.

  • Prioritize building more affordable and accessible housing across Toronto.
  • Create incentives and support for low-income households and families so more people find stable, affordable, secure housing.
Show their words & source (a few sentences)
“I would prioritize building more affordable and accessible housing across Toronto, while creating incentives and support for low-income households and families. The goal should be to help more people find stable housing and make it easier for families to afford and keep a secure place to live.”

Source: Know Your Vote Toronto — candidate questionnaire responses (Toronto Public Library)

Confidence:High

Taxes & spending

What happens to my tax bill, and where does the money go?

Not reviewed yet. Know something?

Emergency services

When I call for help, will it come fast enough?

Roy Samathanam would boost visible presence via Auxiliary Police volunteers and privacy-safeguarded drone monitoring.

  • Stronger visible presence in parks and public spaces via Auxiliary Police volunteers.
  • Explore targeted, random drone monitoring in larger parks and public spaces, with proper privacy safeguards — improving safety at low cost to taxpayers.
Show their words & source (several paragraphs)
“I would prioritize a stronger visible presence in parks and public spaces by working with Auxiliary Police volunteers to increase community presence and reassurance. I would also explore targeted, random drone monitoring in larger parks and public spaces, where appropriate and with proper privacy safeguards. My goal would be to use these two options to improve safety while keeping costs to taxpayers as low as possible.”

Source: Know Your Vote Toronto — candidate questionnaire responses (Toronto Public Library)

Confidence:High

Transit

Can I get where I need to go without driving?

Roy Samathanam would prioritize traffic flow: more reliable transit, fix bottlenecks, coordinate road users and cyclists.

  • Prioritize improving traffic flow and transportation options across Toronto.
  • Make transit more reliable, address traffic bottlenecks, and improve coordination between road users, transit, cyclists and pedestrians — practical, cost-effective improvements.
Show their words & source (several paragraphs)
“I would prioritize improving traffic flow and transportation options across Toronto. This means making transit more reliable, addressing traffic bottlenecks, and improving coordination between road users, transit, cyclists, and pedestrians. I would focus on practical, cost-effective improvements that help residents get where they need to go safely and efficiently.”

Source: Know Your Vote Toronto — candidate questionnaire responses (Toronto Public Library)

Confidence:High

Government

Will decisions be made in the open, and will anyone answer for them?

Roy Samathanam would make accountability his top priority, scrutinizing budgets and even cutting his own salary 30%.

  • Top priority: accountability and responsible use of taxpayers' money — scrutinize every budget, identify unnecessary spending, reduce waste.
  • Would even reduce his own annual salary by 30% to demonstrate that accountability starts with Council itself.
Show their words & source (several paragraphs)
“I’d make accountability and responsible use of taxpayers’ money my top priority. I would scrutinize every budget, identify unnecessary spending and reduce waste wherever possible. My operations experience and focus on efficiency would help me examine how the City spends money and look for practical savings. I would even be prepared to reduce my own annual salary by 30% to demonstrate that accountability starts with Council itself.”

Source: Know Your Vote Toronto — candidate questionnaire responses (Toronto Public Library)

Confidence:High

Roads & infrastructure

Will the things I use every day actually get fixed?

Not reviewed yet. Know something?

Economy

Will our main streets and local jobs thrive?

Roy Samathanam would explore a rent-increase freeze for lower-income households and a grocery rebate.

  • Prioritize income-based support for residents.
  • Explore a rent-increase freeze for lower-income households and a grocery rebate to help families manage rising everyday costs.
Show their words & source (a few sentences)
“I would prioritize income-based support for residents, including exploring a rent-increase freeze for lower-income households and a grocery rebate to help families manage the rising cost of everyday essentials. These measures would provide more immediate relief to residents who are struggling with affordability.”

Source: Know Your Vote Toronto — candidate questionnaire responses (Toronto Public Library)

Confidence:High

Environment

Is the candidate protecting the nature we live in?

Not reviewed yet. Know something?

Healthcare

Will there be a doctor and a hospital when we need one?

Not reviewed yet. Know something?

Growth & development

How fast should we grow, and who decides what gets built where?

Not reviewed yet. Know something?

Social & community services

Who looks after the most vulnerable residents?

Not reviewed yet. Know something?

Active transportation

Can I walk and bike safely around town?

Not reviewed yet. Know something?

Arts & culture

Does the candidate value what makes this place feel alive?

Not reviewed yet. Know something?

Data centres

Should energy-hungry data centres be welcomed here?

Not reviewed yet. Know something?

Water & waste

Is our drinking water safe and our waste handled?

Not reviewed yet. Know something?

Bylaw enforcement

Are the rules fair, and are they actually enforced?

Not reviewed yet. Know something?

Think we got something wrong?

Candidates and members of the public can both report a correction. Every one is logged and answered, and corrections about a candidate’s own positions get priority.

Report a correction about this page →