{"id":38891,"date":"2026-09-10T13:56:52","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T17:56:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/?p=38891"},"modified":"2026-09-10T13:57:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T17:57:00","slug":"aurora-votes-2026-council-candidates-focused-on-local-advocacy-amid-trade-tensions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/aurora-votes-2026-council-candidates-focused-on-local-advocacy-amid-trade-tensions\/","title":{"rendered":"Aurora Votes 2026: Council Candidates focused on local advocacy amid trade tensions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Shopping local has been in sharp focus since the Global Pandemic, and has come under an even more powerful lens amid current trade tensions between Canada and the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As local businesses and residents at large continue to grapple with the current reality and anticipated future impacts of tariffs, candidates vying to represent their respective Wards at the Council table this fall have shared their views on what they would do to support local commerce and industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WARD 1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LAUREN HANNA \u2013 \u201cFor Aurora, the biggest opportunity is targeted efforts to retain businesses. Through Town Economic Development Staff and the Aurora Economic Development Corporation, we should identify businesses exposed to tariffs and supply-chain disruptions, understand their needs, and connect them to York Region, provincial and federal supports. We should also work with the Aurora Chamber of Commerce to identify business needs and connect employers with supports to diversify markets and suppliers. Aurora should also leverage existing \u2018Canada First\u2019 procurement measures and Ontario\u2019s Municipal \u2018Buy Ontario\u2019 requirements, while keeping taxes and costs competitive and enhancing efforts to revitalize our downtown. Local businesses are vital and I\u2019m passionate about supporting them. I\u2019ve proudly showcased businesses through my newsletter\u2019s monthly \u2018Local Business Spotlight\u2019 and my \u2018Out and About Aurora\u2019 social media series.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ROCCO MORSILLO \u2013 \u201cAs a municipality, we have to pivot in our way of thinking with cross-border purchases as we cannot control tariffs imposed by the US. I would advocate for Aurora to work with all levels of government to create incentives to help Canadian and local businesses shift sales locally. I would encourage Aurora to sponsor trade shows to showcase businesses that normally sell to the US to motivate shifting sales within Canada. Internally, our procurement team can ensure that all products\/services are coming from local businesses whenever possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WARD 2<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ANGELA DAUST \u2013 \u201cCouncil should revisit their procurement policies for both goods and services. They should prioritize local supplies and services as well as those originating in Canada. Council can also help businesses and employees navigate several federal government programs, such as The Canada Strong Diversification Fund, the Regional Tariff Response Initiative and the Business Development Bank of Canada Pivot to Grow program to give tariff relief to businesses and guide them in growing their business. Employees can get help and training from programs also offered by the federal government.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MARCO DI GIROLAMO \u2013 \u201cThe single biggest thing a Council can do is support the continued\/sustained growth of our local businesses by, first, gaining a full understanding of the various impacts of our current trade situation with the US on local businesses, and their employees, through collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce and the local business owners and then working with all parties to explore means of mitigating the impact through marketing and \u2018shop local\u2019 initiatives, etc. and, opportunities to increase tourism\/visitors to our Town. While the Town currently has practices and policies in place for procurement from locally sourced vendors, it is increasingly important to ensure those polices are reviewed on a regular basis and reflect the needs of our current environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PHIONA DURRANT \u2013 \u201cAurora has what it takes to protect, strengthen, and unify our local businesses. From as close as Whitby, their Tariff Task Force links small businesses directly to emergency trade programs, to as far as Jamaica, where JAMPRO pivoted during COVID by connecting small producers directly to new buyers and digital tools instead of waiting on old export routes. We do not have to reinvent the wheel. We leverage what is already working elsewhere. While trade policy is federal and we cannot set tariffs or dictate supply chains, we can recognize that trade pressures affect large, medium, and micro businesses differently. A large employer may have more resources and flexibility to absorb disruptions, while a micro or small business may feel the impact much more immediately. Our role locally is to build those direct connections and leverage existing programs, partnerships, and models to support businesses here, growing local manufacturing and helping businesses collaborate on resources, opportunities, and solutions instead of struggling alone. As a business owner, I have signed the cheques for staff right here in Downtown Aurora. I was a board director with the Aurora BIA and Chamber of Commerce, and I understand the issues. On different occasions, I have brought the concerns of local businesses to Council and the media, demanding real support. I will do it again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BRYNN LANSDOWN \u2013 \u201cCouncil can’t control tariffs, trade agreements or what happens at the border. What we can control is how well Aurora is positioned to handle those changes. The single biggest thing Council can do is make Aurora a place where businesses can operate, adapt and grow with as few unnecessary municipal barriers as possible. That means looking closely at our processes and asking where we can make them less cumbersome, more predictable and easier to navigate. I\u2019ve already reached out to CFIB and some local businesses to deepen my understanding of what they need from their municipality. It also means using the purchasing power we already have. Where procurement rules allow, I support prioritizing Ontario and Canadian businesses for municipal goods and services. Council can’t shield Aurora from global economic uncertainty. But we can always listen to local businesses, understand where municipal decisions are helping or creating challenges, and create the conditions that help businesses and their employees navigate it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WARD 3<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NIKKI ALBER \u2013 \u201cWhile municipalities cannot control international tariffs, there are two meaningful actions we can take to support local business owners and the employees whose jobs depend on them. First, the Town can clearly communicate what provincial and federal relief programs are available and help affected businesses successfully navigate the application process. It is not enough to simply provide a list of resources\u2014we should help connect business owners with the right programs and ensure they can access the support available to them. Second, we can encourage residents to shop locally and lead by example. Whenever possible, the Town should purchase goods and services from local businesses, keeping municipal spending within our community and supporting local jobs. These are practical steps Council can take to help strengthen Aurora\u2019s economy during an uncertain time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ALEXANDRA BONHAM \u2013 \u201cA municipal Councillor has very few direct means by which they can affect the trade dispute between the United States and Canada. However, the ongoing dispute is putting pressure on Canada as a whole to diversify cross provincial trade and create new partnerships. At a municipal level, I believe our best course of action is to help strengthen and highlight our local businesses and offer support and resources to those businesses most affected by the dispute. We can support and or propose any motions that direct the Town of Aurora to work closely with the Provincial and Federal Governments to prioritize strengthening our independence from the United States, and continue to build on our economic business plan to ensure investment in our community which in turn promotes resilience during these uncertain times.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ROBERT JAMES FRASER \u2013 \u201cI see two key actions the Town of Aurora can take to help local businesses impacted by the trade dispute with the United States. Review the goods and services the Town is purchasing to see if there is an opportunity to buy from those local businesses impacted by the trade dispute.  At the same time, the Town could offer short-term financial relief to impacted businesses by deferring property taxes and\/or waiving\/reducing other municipal fees levied on those impacted businesses, helping to preserve cash flow until the dispute is settled.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HAROLD MacDONALD \u2013 \u201cThe trade disputes have created a ripple effect, negatively impacted local businesses and employees that we as a Council need to support. For Aurora Council, I would suggest that we first talk with our local MPs, Sandra Cobena and Costas Menegakis, and encourage them to put pressure on the Federal Government to settle all trade disputes as quickly and fairly as possible. Also, to advocate for discussions to continue to get back to the negotiating table.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(A response from Ward 3 Candidate Reza Vaez Ghamsary had not been received by deadline.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WARD 4<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SHAHEEN MOLEDINA \u2013 \u201cThe ongoing trade dispute with the United States is certainly a significant concern, and as a small business owner, I hear these worries from our community on a daily basis. In my view, the most impactful action a municipal Council can take to safeguard local businesses that depend on cross-border trade is to establish a robust Business Improvement Area (BIA) which is not limited to downtown Aurora. This initiative would eliminate unnecessary barriers, empower local entrepreneurs, and create a supportive environment for businesses of all sizes to flourish. By fostering an attractive and thriving business landscape, we can ensure that these companies continue to create jobs and drive our local economy forward. Small businesses are essential to our community; they provide employment, support local initiatives, and reinvest in the neighborhoods that sustain them. During these challenging times, we must prioritize Canadian jobs and the businesses that contribute to our communities, setting aside political affiliations for the greater good. Let\u2019s come together as Canadians and support one another. By focusing on local support and promoting Canadian products whenever possible, we can strengthen our local businesses, secure local jobs, and build a more resilient community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MICHAEL THOMPSON \u2013 \u201cIn my view, the single biggest thing a municipality can do is use its own purchasing power to support Canadian businesses and strengthen the local economy. In response to the threat of tariffs, Council unanimously supported a motion brought forward by the Mayor in 2025 to amend our purchasing practices and give greater priority to Canadian-made products and Canadian businesses. We should continue to lead by example and encourage municipalities across Canada to adopt similar practices. At the same time, we need to keep working with the Aurora Chamber of Commerce and encourage residents and businesses to shop local and support the employers and jobs that are part of our community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WARD 5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JESSIE FRASER \u2013 \u201cObviously, municipal Councils lack authority to negotiate or change international trade agreements; what we can control is local level spending and aids for local businesses. I\u2019m not going to offer answers about RFQ thresholds or taking advantage of trade agreement exemptions or facilitating access to federal aid that anyone with access to a search engine can give; Aurora deserves representatives with the critical problem solving skills and change management knowledge to offer actionable solutions to problems beyond the basics, such as: launching a \u2018buy local\/hire local\u2019 campaign with incentives; amending municipal purchasing policy to support locally sourced contracts and suppliers; offering temporary property tax deferrals for impacted small businesses, fee waivers and permit expediting for businesses forced to make operational changes, and incentives to push forward those initiatives; diversifying access for suppliers; and collaborating with the provincial government to facilitate regional and provincial distribution partnerships.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MILTON HART \u2013 \u201cEvery municipal dollar should, wherever legally and operationally possible, strengthen the local economy and protect local jobs. As a Councillor, I will ask myself\/Council the following question: Can this dollar stay in our community? If not, can it stay in Ontario? If not, can it stay in Canada? And if we can’t source it here today, what would it take to develop that capability? I want to make Aurora use every lawful procurement and economic-development lever we have to keep municipal dollars in the local economy, keep people working, and give tariff-exposed businesses the ability to diversify beyond the U.S. market.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HARBINDER (BINDA) THANDI \u2013 \u201cCouncil can\u2019t control tariffs or what happens between Canada and the U.S., but we can control what happens here in Aurora. The biggest thing is making sure we\u2019re not adding more pressure on local businesses that are already dealing with higher costs and uncertainty. That means keeping taxes and fees reasonable, cutting unnecessary red tape, and making it easier for businesses to grow and keep people employed. The right Councillor needs to listen to our local businesses and understand what they\u2019re dealing with. The Town and our residents also need to support local and Canadian businesses. We can\u2019t solve an international trade dispute from Town Hall, but we can make sure Aurora businesses know we understand their difficulties and we will try to help whichever way possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Responses from Ward 5 candidates Charity Dela Cruz-Toupin, George Tremtsidis, and Terrence Zhu were not received by deadline. Submissions received following deadline will be reflected online at theauroran.com, and appear in next week\u2019s edition of The Auroran.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WARD 6<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NICHOLAS KASHEF \u2013 \u201cWhile international trade is under federal jurisdiction, one idea comes to mind that Town Council could pilot: A database of vendors and buyers for the private sector, creating one central place where private businesses can go to find alternatives to American products and services so they can avoid expensive American tariffs. Supply Ontario is a crown corporation that the public sector already uses for procurement, ensuring public dollars prioritize Ontario and Canadian businesses. Aurora could pilot something similar targeted at the private sector, piggybacking off, and adding to the work already done by Supply Ontario.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HAROLD KIM \u2013 \u201cI support our Buy-Canadian procurement stance \u2014 it’s the right signal. But to be honest: our own procurement is a fraction of one percent of the issue. A business shipping into a U.S. supply chain isn’t saved by who Town Hall buys photocopiers from. After 25 years in financial services, I know what carries a business through a shock: cash flow and certainty. So, the biggest thing Council actually controls is the local cost and speed of doing business. When a tariff eats at an employer’s margin, they can’t also absorb slow approvals or a tax hike. Fast permitting and a stable tax burden are our most direct way to keep those doors open and those paycheques here. The longer game is diversification \u2014 as part of the Aurora Economic Development Corp Board, I’m working to attract medtech and biotech firms that are less tariff-exposed, so one trade war can’t put this many Aurora jobs at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Responses from Ward 6 candidates Jibraan Khan and Zivka Kicic were not received by deadline.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shopping local has been in sharp focus since the Global Pandemic, and has come under an even more powerful lens amid current trade tensions between Canada and the United States. As local businesses and residents at large continue to grapple with the current reality and anticipated future impacts of tariffs, candidates vying to represent their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general_news","category-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3D2k4-a7h","publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-09-18 23:29:17","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38891"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38891\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38892,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38891\/revisions\/38892"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}