WARD 15 BYELECTION - Trio urged to unite against the right

Ex-premier among those touting plan to thwart Furey

- BEN SPURR

An ex-Ontario premier and a former Toronto mayor could play pivotal roles in an upcoming city council byelection, amid concerns from some left-leaning insiders that a trio of candidates with Liberal connections are on track to split the vote and give a controversial conservative a path to victory.

Although voters won’t go to the polls to elect a new councillor in Don Valley West until Nov. 4, the race is already being shaped by behind-the-scenes manoeuvring featuring Kathleen Wynne and John Tory, the Star has learned.

Former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne, left, who represented Don Valley West provincially for nearly two decades, confirmed she has spoken with three candidates about the importance of rallying around a single challenger to block right-wing pundit Anthony Furey, right.

Wynne, the former Liberal premier who represented Don Valley West provincially for nearly two decades, confirmed she has spoken with three candidates with links to the Grits about the importance of rallying around a single challenger to block right-wing pundit Anthony Furey from winning the seat.

Meanwhile, the Star has confirmed that representatives of both Furey and Rachel Chernos Lin, the Toronto District School Board chair who is also running in Don Valley West, have reached out to Tory seeking his endorsement.

Rachel Chernos Lin has had help from a former director of the Ontario Liberal party.

Observers say the discussions involving local political heavyweights are unusual in municipal byelections, which are normally lowkey affairs.