Toronto mayoral campaigning resumes after man charged with threatening to shoot candidates

Toronto mayoral candidates are back to full campaigning Friday after a brief, nerve-wracking pause while police sought a man suspected of threatening violence against them.

Several campaign officials reacted with a sigh of relief late Thursday after police notified them of the arrest of a man reported for making threats.

Earlier Thursday police issued a press release saying that officers were called at 10:44 a.m. to a “public location” near Greenwood Avenue and Mortimer Avenue in East York. They were told a man had “made threatening remarks about shooting Toronto mayoral candidates” and “brandished what appeared to be a firearm.”

Police asked Torontonians for help finding the man. Campaigns of several prominent mayoral candidates announced they were suspending public events.

Fears of an attack led to the cancellation of an evening debate at OCAD University.

Police offered candidates home protection from plain clothes officers.

About 12 hours, police notified candidates that the man was arrested without incident.

On Friday, police said Junior François Lavagesse, 29, is charged with two counts of weapons dangerous, carrying a concealed weapon and uttering threats and failure to comply with a recognizance order.

Plans for furious campaigning Friday resumed as the campaign enters the home stretch to the June 26 election.

Former NDP MP Olivia Chow at 9 a.m. announced that Coun. Amber Morley (Etobicoke-Lakeshore) and Jamaal Myers (Scarborough North) are endorsing her candidacy.

Former city councillor Ana Bailão, former police chief Mark Saunders and former Liberal MPP Mitzie Hunter were among other prominent mayoral candidates making announcements later Friday.

A new Mainstreet Research poll released Friday morning gives, like other recent polls, a commanding lead to Chow with the support of 32 per cent of decided voters, followed by 16 per cent for Bailão, 12 per cent for Saunders, 10 per cent for Coun. Josh Matlow, nine per cent for former Toronto Sun columnist Anthony Furey, seven per cent for Hunter, and four per cent each for Coun. Brad Bradford and policy analyst Chloe Brown.

Five per cent of respondents chose another candidate. Some 16 per cent said they remain undecided.

The automated telephone interview survey of 1,100 candidates was conducted last Tuesday to Wednesday. The margin of error is considered to be plus or minus three percentage points at the 95 per cent confidence level.

David Rider is the Star’s City Hall bureau chief and a reporter covering city hall and municipal politics. Follow him on Twitter: @dmrider

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