Southwest London: Westmount · Bostwick
Ward 10 is a five-candidate race. Nominations closed August 21, 2026; the City certified the list on August 24. The live fight is Westmount, where Farhi Holdings bought the mall in 2025 and renamed it Westmount Commons: city staff recommended refusing a plan to more than double the office space allowed there, arguing it would undermine downtown as London's main office destination, and committee put the plan on hold rather than deciding it. Council also revived the six-lane Wonderland Road widening study in April 2025, and on August 11 the planning committee cleared the first hurdle for a 5,000-unit subdivision where Bostwick, Wharncliffe and Wonderland converge. New boundary lines weren't confirmed in this research.
One candidate carries a prior election record. Paul Van Meerbergen, the incumbent, was elected Ward 10 councillor in 2022 with 2,400 votes (41.93%) of five candidates, per the City's certified results.
The rest of the field, in alphabetical order: Juman Al-Jumaili, Steven Edwards, Alexander Moore, and Lois Margaret Ward.
Listed alphabetically. Identical treatment for every candidate. That's the deal.
Sent out September 3, 2026. Answers are posted here word for word when they arrive. Anything back within a week goes up September 10.
Received September 3, 2026
What is the one thing you most want to have changed in London by the end of this term? Tell us what a resident would be able to see in 2030 that shows you did it, and what you would be willing to give up to get it.
“Full fiscal transparency and responsibility at City Hall. I am running a no-impact, grass roots campaign to demonstrate my commitment to this ideal.”
A councillor is one vote of fifteen, and staff write the reports council votes on. Tell us about a time, in any part of your life, when you needed a decision from people who mostly disagreed with you and got it. Who did you have to bring around, what did you change in your ask, and what did you give up?
“As a past Operations Manager in Private Security, this happened many times when it came to emergency situations at various events. In the end, the decision is always made to keep people safe and out of harm's way, regardless of any inconvenience it may cause.”
Name one thing the people you'd represent will ask you for that city council cannot actually decide. Say plainly what you would tell them, who does hold that decision, and what you would do to move it anyway.
“Unfortunately I do not have a response to this question as I would require more information to adequately base my opinion on it.”
Pick the issue you most want to be known for. Where do you feel torn on it, and what is the strongest argument against your own position?
“Fiscal transparency and responsibility. Residents of London need to feel their tax dollars are cared for and used in an appropriate manner.”
Point us to one thing you have already done for people in London, before this campaign, that a reader could check and that shows how you would do this job. A web address is welcome.
“As a well-seasoned expert in the field of private security I have run flawless events for the city of London, keeping all patrons safe and out of harm's way. This includes, but is not limited to, events at Western University campus, Victoria Park, Downtown London and Harris Park.”
Elected Ward 10 councillor in 2022: 2,400 votes (41.93%) of five candidates, per the City's certified results.
Sent out September 3, 2026. Answers are posted here word for word when they arrive. Anything back within a week goes up September 10.
Received September 13, 2026
What is the one thing you most want to have changed in London by the end of this term? Tell us what a resident would be able to see in 2030 that shows you did it, and what you would be willing to give up to get it.
“At the doors and in the community, I see that more is at stake in this election than any candidate's platform. London is becoming divided into us and them, yours and mine, have and have not, yes and no. We are expected to pick a side on everything. That is no way to run a city. By 2030, I want residents to see a council that can disagree without becoming incapable of progress: one that finds common ground, makes balanced decisions and speaks with a stronger voice when advocating to Queen's Park and Ottawa. Polarization weakens us. London will achieve more when we work together. I would give up the comfort of always pleasing one side, and I would compromise on the route when it helps us reach a better result. I would not give up honesty, evidence or the needs of the people I represent.”
A councillor is one vote of fifteen, and staff write the reports council votes on. Tell us about a time, in any part of your life, when you needed a decision from people who mostly disagreed with you and got it. Who did you have to bring around, what did you change in your ask, and what did you give up?
“In my work in sales, I once needed a national buyer to agree to a very large contract with a long rollout. Although they initially wanted to pick the lower priced bid. My first proposal was not going to get everyone there. I spoke with the right department to understand what each actually needed. I changed my ask by offering training and service, The customer realized that I was going to bring better value than any of the other offers. That experience taught me that bringing people together is not about pressuring them or splitting every difference down the middle. It is about listening, separating firm positions from underlying concerns, and finding a solution people can support. That is how I would approach serving as one member of a fifteen-person council.”
Name one thing the people you'd represent will ask you for that city council cannot actually decide. Say plainly what you would tell them, who does hold that decision, and what you would do to move it anyway.
“Residents may ask me to order more police patrols in their neighbourhood or direct police to deal with a particular person or location. I would tell them plainly that city council cannot direct police operations. Those decisions belong to the London Police Service under the leadership of the Chief, with civilian oversight from the London Police Service Board. That would not mean shrugging and sending them away. I would document what residents are experiencing, help bring recurring concerns to the right people and press for clear answers about response times and service gaps. Council can also act through police funding, lighting, street design, bylaw enforcement, recreation and community supports. A councillor should never pretend to have authority they do not possess. My responsibility would be to tell residents the truth, open the right doors and keep working with everyone involved to find a practical way forward.”
Pick the issue you most want to be known for. Where do you feel torn on it, and what is the strongest argument against your own position?
“I want to be known for making growth work for the people who already live here and those who still need a place here. I feel torn because London urgently needs more housing, and delaying construction increases costs. Residents are also right to ask whether roads, sewers, transit and other services can support that growth. They deserve a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their neighbourhoods. The strongest argument against my position is that consultation and infrastructure expectations can become excuses to delay badly needed housing, and existing residents should not have a veto over who gets to live in their community. I take that seriously. My answer is earlier consultation, clearer rules and better planning so good projects can proceed faster. London cannot remain frozen in place, but growth should leave us with complete communities, not simply more buildings.”
Point us to one thing you have already done for people in London, before this campaign, that a reader could check and that shows how you would do this job. A web address is welcome.
“For more than twenty years, I have coached martial arts, working with youth and adults from many different backgrounds and with different abilities, including autistic young people. Coaching is not standing at the front of a room and expecting everyone to respond in the same way. It means listening, adapting how you communicate, recognizing what each person needs and helping people with different strengths work toward a common goal. It also requires honesty and accountability. You cannot promise that something will be easy, but you can make sure nobody is dismissed or left behind. That is how I would approach public service. I would meet people where they are, be clear about what is possible and keep looking for a way forward when the first answer is no.”
Sent out September 3, 2026. Answers are posted here word for word when they arrive. Anything back within a week goes up September 10.
No endorsements · Same rules for every candidate · Sources linked · Answers published word for word · How we research →
Honestly told: the situation, the numbers, and what to ask the people who want your vote.
Candidate Alexander Moore's platform explicitly opposes "post-approval (bait-and-switch) changes to developments," suggesting this has been a live local frustration, though no specific Ward 10 case was independently verified in this research.
Name one change you'd make so what gets built matches what council approved.
Development pace and quality in the Westmount area is a live local frustration. Farhi Holdings Corporation bought Westmount Mall in August 2025 with stated plans for mixed-use redevelopment including apartments on the site, and has since renamed the property Westmount Commons, the name the City's own 2026 documents now use. Candidate Lois Margaret Ward told CBC News she is unhappy with the pace of development at Westmount Mall, saying "there's been some unwise choices" and calling for development to be "managed a little more intelligently."
CBC News reported the acquisition on August 14, 2025. A London Free Press report put the purchase price at $40 million, but that outlet blocks automated reading and the figure could not be checked directly, so treat it as reported, not verified. No sale price appears in the sources we could read. CBC News ↗
What would you support, and what would you block, in the next phase of development around Westmount Mall?
Westmount Development London Corporation has applied (city file OZ-26061) to raise the amount of office space allowed at 755-765, 785 and 815 Wonderland Road South. No new tower is involved: the plan reworks space inside the existing two-storey enclosed mall so it can land one large office tenant relocating from elsewhere in London. City staff recommended refusing it. Their reasoning is the reason this is more than a Ward 10 story: they argue pulling a large office tenant to Wonderland Road works against downtown, and downtown London still has one of the emptiest office markets in the country (see the Ward 13 file).
The application would lift the cap on office space at the site from 10,000 to 22,500 square metres, allowing up to 12,500 square metres for a single tenant. The July 14, 2026 report from Deputy City Manager Scott Mathers recommends the amendment "BE REFUSED" because "the increased amount of office space is significant and undermines the role and future health of the Downtown as the primary office destination in the City." City of London staff report, July 14, 2026 ↗
Would you vote to allow more office space at Westmount if it pulls a large tenant out of downtown? Answer yes or no before you explain.
The application was not rejected. On July 14, 2026 the Planning and Environment Committee heard delegations and then referred it to a future committee meeting, expressly "for the reason of allowing the applicant and representatives additional time to obtain a suitable level of tenant commitment." Downtown London filed a written communication dated July 4, 2026. The City's own application page still shows no council resolution, so anyone who tells you this was approved or killed is ahead of the record.
The referral passed 5 to 0 at committee on July 14, 2026 (item 3.7). The City's application page for the site records "Council Resolution - not available at this time." City of London planning application, 755-765, 785 and 815 Wonderland Road South ↗
Should the city decide this application on its merits, or keep holding it while the applicant hunts for a tenant?
In February 2024 the Ontario Land Tribunal approved a settlement between the City and the site's then-owner permitting mixed-use redevelopment of the Westmount lands at up to three, eight and twelve storeys. Council never passed it. The owner appealed after council did not decide the application, the two sides settled, and the Tribunal changed the city's Official Plan and zoning by-law itself. The City was a consenting party to the settlement, but the approval itself was the Tribunal's, and any specific number of housing units for this site does not come from the Tribunal's order.
OLT-23-000367 and OLT-23-000368, 785 Wonderland Road Inc. v. London (City), city file OZ-9565, issued February 26, 2024. The order sets heights of three storeys, eight storeys and twelve storeys across three areas and adds some permitted uses. It states no number of housing units and no office floor area at all. Ontario Land Tribunal decision, February 26, 2024 ↗
When a tribunal settles a file council never voted on, what would you change about how the city handles those appeals?
Council halted a roughly $212-million plan to widen Wonderland Road to six lanes in September 2021 over climate and environmental concerns, and the road's role was folded into the city's long-range Mobility Master Plan. That halt did not settle the question: council reopened the widening in 2025, covered in the next card.
The "Discover Wonderland" environmental assessment carried a roughly $212-million price tag; council halted it on a 9–5 vote in September 2021. CBC News ↗
Would you vote to fund widening Wonderland Road to six lanes?
The 2021 halt is often described as the end of the story. It wasn't. On April 1, 2025 council directed staff to revisit widening Wonderland Road to six lanes and to open talks with neighbouring municipalities and the province about a ring road around London. As of this research those talks were still at an early stage and no further progress could be found, so there is no route, no cost and no timeline to point at yet.
Council's April 1, 2025 direction to revisit the Wonderland widening and pursue ring-road talks passed 12 to 3. CBC News ↗
The widening study is alive again. Do you want six lanes built, redesigned, or stopped for good?
The biggest live growth file in Ward 10 after Westmount: a draft plan of subdivision at 3080 and 3514 Bostwick Road, 1875 Wharncliffe Road South and 3341 Wonderland Road South, where those three roads converge. The application (MHBC Planning, file 39T-25507/OZ-26066) proposes low-, medium- and high-density residential and mixed uses, open space along the Thornicroft Drain, parks, and seven new neighbourhood streets. The Planning and Environment Committee held its public meeting on August 11, 2026; CBC reports the committee cleared the proposal's first hurdle at more than 5,000 units. This is committee stage, not a built subdivision: the City's application page listed the council resolution as not yet available at our August 16 check, and draft-plan conditions and later approvals still follow.
Application received September 4, 2025; Planning and Environment Committee public meeting held August 11, 2026; council resolution not yet posted as of August 16, 2026. City of London — planning application 39T-25507/OZ-26066 ↗
Whoever wins this seat will hold it while 5,000 units get their remaining approvals. What conditions would you push for on roads, transit and parks before the homes go in?
A non-scientific CBC London reader survey of 330+ respondents ahead of the 2026 election found homelessness, open drug use and roads as the top-ranked concerns citywide, with affordability, crime and transit also ranking high. This is citywide data, not a Ward 10 measurement.
Name one thing you'd fund on homelessness or open drug use that's actually council's to decide.
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