INCUMBENT RUNNING

Ward 13

Downtown London — Central London · SoHo · Blackfriars · Kensington Village · Oxford Park

Researched July 2, 2026 · updated July 3, 2026 · 5 candidates registered

Your ward at a glance

Ward 13 is London's downtown ward, with the biggest field so far: first-term incumbent David Ferreira against four first-time challengers. All five candidates agree the race is about homelessness, core safety and an emptying downtown — office vacancy hit 31.5% in late 2025, the highest in Canada, and council just approved a 10-year, $48-million plan that Ferreira backed. Council also amended this ward's boundary; what changed couldn't be confirmed, so check the city's map.

What Ward 13 is wrestling with

Honestly told: the situation, the numbers, and what to ask the people who want your vote.

□ SHARED — CITY + PROVINCE

Homelessness, encampments and service hubs

Ward 13 sits at the centre of London's homelessness response, the Whole of Community System Response: highly-supportive housing, up to 15 low-barrier 24/7 service hubs, and moving people from encampments into shelter. Much of the money runs outside the normal tax-funded budget, and a funding drop is coming as two federal programs end.

The honest numbers ▾

Roughly $2.3 million less is expected for homelessness services starting spring 2026 as two federal programs end. Downtown Master Plan quick-start staff report ↗

Ask your candidates

How many of the city's service hubs belong downtown, and how many elsewhere?

■ CITY DECIDES

Feeling safe downtown, and who pays

Downtown London and the London Downtown Business Association jointly told council they "can no longer afford to cover these ever-increasing costs" of private security. BIAs across London report the same pattern: member businesses now rank homelessness, mental health and addiction-related safety concerns above traditional BIA functions. The dollar figures on record are from 2023 and from other BIAs, not a current downtown number.

The honest numbers ▾

Argyle Road BIA spent $25,000/year on private security for three straight years before receiving a $250,000 council top-up (alongside Hamilton Road BIA) in 2023 — dated, non-downtown context; no 2025–26 downtown figure was found. CBC News ↗

Ask your candidates

Should businesses be paying for private security downtown, and if not, what replaces it?

■ CITY DECIDES

Empty offices and the $48M plan

London's core office vacancy is the highest in Canada. Council responded in June 2026 with initial approval of a 10-year downtown plan: 58 recommended actions and four "big moves," including a river district, a dedicated city office for downtown services, and public-space investment. A narrower "quick-start" package is already underway, including a grant to fit out vacant commercial space and an office-to-residential conversion program ($35,000/unit forgivable loan).

The honest numbers ▾

Core office vacancy hit 31.5% in Q4 2025 (CBRE) — the highest in Canada, up from 27.3% in 2023. The downtown plan is projected at $48 million over 10 years, not yet budgeted. CBC News ↗

Ask your candidates

Would you fund the $48-million downtown plan in the next budget, and if not, what's your alternative?

□ SHARED — CITY + PROVINCE

Loopholes in London's renoviction rules

London's Rental Unit Repair Licence bylaw (in force March 2025) makes landlords who issue renovation-based eviction notices get permits, prove through professional certification that the unit genuinely must be emptied, and give tenants an information package. Tenant advocates say it lacks protections found in other Ontario cities and has a loophole around demolition-based evictions. With downtown's rental density, this file lands on whoever holds the seat.

Ask your candidates

Would you close the demoviction loophole in the rental repair bylaw, and how?

■ CITY DECIDES

Is Dundas Place working?

London's first flex street ($27M, opened December 2019) closes to vehicles on a pilot schedule for events and activations. Not all downtown businesses support the limited pilot hours; some push for scheduling that better matches customer traffic.

Ask your candidates

What should Dundas Place's car-free schedule be, and what number tells you it's working?

■ CITY DECIDES

BRT construction on the ward's edges

The Downtown Loop itself ($28.5M in dedicated bus lanes on King, Wellington, Queens and Ridout) was completed in 2024, but nearby work continues: the Queens Avenue Bridge rehabilitation began March 2026 as an enabling project for the still-unbuilt west and north BRT legs, affecting the Blackfriars/Petersville edge of the ward.

Ask your candidates

Do you support building the west and north BRT legs, yes or no?

Who’s running

Listed alphabetically. Identical treatment for every candidate — that’s the deal.

BISSON CROOK D'AMELIO FERREIRA SAIKA-VOIVOD

Schelley Bisson

Ward 13 resident who describes years working around housing, service delivery and community operations in London (specific employer and role not stated), making her first run for office.

SPECIFICITY4 concrete proposals · 4 aspirational themes

PLATFORM, RECORD & CONTACT▾

Platform — WHAT THEY SAY

Housing and affordability: mandatory community impact assessments before large residential approvals, transit and service capacity reports before density increases, and public tracking of new units versus actual move-ins. — named policy requirements; no dollar figures or unit targets B13 Blueprint ↗
Public safety and neighbourhood stability: review safety spending versus outcomes in Ward 13, push for transparent response-time and resolution data, and support safety measures with "measurable targets." — names data deliverables but no specific outcome measures or targets
Infrastructure and contractor accountability: a public-facing infrastructure status dashboard for Ward 13, public reports on projects overdue by more than 90 days, performance bonds and accountability clauses in contracts, and change-order reviews of major contractors.
Downtown and Ward 13 revitalization: track business closure and opening rates downtown, review outcomes from existing downtown investment programs, and push for "realistic, measurable revitalization targets."
Supportive housing "with real supports": review operator compliance with service commitments, track the ratio of beds to available support staff, and measure outcomes for residents placed in supportive housing. — names a specific trackable metric (beds-to-staff ratio); no staffing standard or figure proposed
City hall transparency and accountability: plain-language summaries of all major council decisions, and department-level outcome reports tied to budget line items.
Parks, riverfront and community value: track Harris Park commitment delivery against announced timelines, review Thames corridor environmental reports, and push for transparent parks maintenance budget reporting.
Bylaw and property-standards compliance: track complaint resolution rates and timelines in Ward 13, review repeat-offender escalation, and report outcomes publicly.

NOTES

Her "B13 Blueprint" was published by July 3, 2026 with council-level actions for eight priority areas (reflected above), but the site describes it as a living plan being "released in stages" — items may still be added or changed before election day.

A companion "Reading the City" research project (council expense reviews, project-delay tracking, contractor performance) is described on the site as launching, with no published findings at the time of this research.

A Twitter/X handle and LinkedIn profile surfaced in search but were not confirmed as active campaign accounts and are not listed here.

Our questionnaire QUESTIONS GOING OUT

Identical questions go to every declared candidate. Answers are published verbatim; “no response” is reported plainly.

WEBSITE ↗EMAIL PHONE

Andrew Joseph Crook

Self-described husband, father, business owner and Londoner with close to two decades of experience in business systems, finance and real estate, making his first run for office.

SPECIFICITY0 concrete proposals · 2 aspirational themes

PLATFORM, RECORD & CONTACT▾

Platform — WHAT THEY SAY

Builds the campaign around a civic-engagement philosophy — "London belongs to the people who participate in it" — with a three-step model of listening ("honest witnessing"), conversation and action, rather than a policy list. — no named downtown, housing or safety proposals found on the site as of July 3, 2026 Campaign site ↗
States a campaign spending limit of $20,940.05 against a practical fundraising goal of $20,000, with the official City-issued expense certificate posted on the site as a PDF. — concrete figures, but they describe campaign mechanics, not city policy commitments Expense certificate (PDF) ↗

NOTES

His campaign site was re-read in full on July 3, 2026; it remains a civic-engagement and campaign-finance-transparency pitch with no policy planks published.

Our questionnaire QUESTIONS GOING OUT

Identical questions go to every declared candidate. Answers are published verbatim; “no response” is reported plainly.

WEBSITE ↗EMAIL PHONE LINKEDIN ↗FACEBOOK ↗

Stephen D'Amelio

Local events-business owner, entertainer and community advocate who has lived and worked in Ward 13 for over a decade, making his first run for office.

SPECIFICITY0 concrete proposals · 4 aspirational themes

PLATFORM, RECORD & CONTACT▾

Platform — WHAT THEY SAY

Community safety and visibility: improved lighting, increased visible patrols, faster cleanup of debris and needles, support for mental-health and addiction services, safer transit stops, and increased police capacity focused on community-outreach officers — including seeking to employ Londoners in those roles. — names concrete problem areas but no figures or measurable targets Campaign site ↗
Business growth: leverage the ward's arts, entertainment and culture strengths — including London's UNESCO Music City designation — to attract tourism investment with provincial, federal and private partners; expand festivals and free public events; support patio culture; and address vacant storefronts through "vacant storefront first" activation strategies (artwork, temporary pop-up business programs).
City services: improved snow clearing (including sidewalks and bus stops), faster response to debris, needle and encampment concerns, better garbage collection with more collection points, and enhanced bylaw enforcement and sidewalk safety.
Transit and connectivity: improved transit reliability and accessibility, exploring new partnerships and technologies that expand on BRT, and strengthening service efficiency "without placing additional financial pressure on taxpayers."

NOTES

CBC's nominations-day coverage (May 1, 2026) confirms his candidacy and downtown safety-and-security focus. CBC News ↗

The Facebook icon on his campaign site links to a Wix template placeholder page, not a campaign account, so no social links are listed here.

Our questionnaire QUESTIONS GOING OUT

Identical questions go to every declared candidate. Answers are published verbatim; “no response” is reported plainly.

WEBSITE ↗EMAIL PHONE

David Ferreira

First-term incumbent Ward 13 councillor, elected in 2022 by 34 votes over the previous incumbent, who publicly backed the newly approved 10-year downtown revitalization plan at committee.

RECORD · 2022–2026 →

SPECIFICITY0 concrete proposals · 6 aspirational themes

PLATFORM, RECORD & CONTACT▾

Platform — WHAT THEY SAY

Housing affordability: purpose-built rentals and "gentle density," strengthened tenant protections against renovictions and above-guideline rent increases, faster affordable-housing approvals, expanded inclusionary zoning, direct investment in non-profit and co-operative housing, and fewer barriers to secondary and garden suites. — no dollar figures attached to any 2026 platform commitment Campaign platform page ↗
Homelessness: expanded Housing First programs with wraparound services, more supportive housing, expanded mental-health and addiction treatment access, and more extreme-weather shelter capacity and year-round outreach.
Safe and clean neighbourhoods: community policing models, more park and pathway lighting, stronger bylaw enforcement on graffiti, litter and noise, youth programming, and additional waste collection.
Transportation: more frequent transit service to the ward, expanded protected bike lanes, traffic calming on residential streets, and pothole and winter maintenance.
Infrastructure repairs: sidewalks, roads, stormwater, and accessibility upgrades to community facilities.
Climate and environment: urban tree canopy, green stormwater infrastructure, cycling infrastructure, and support for London's Climate Emergency Action Plan.

Record — WHAT THEY DID

How they voted — the landmark-vote scorecard →

NOTES

His campaign site claims a figure-dense record ($300,000/yr downtown BIA grant, $1M rent-assistance pool with 30% to Atlohsa, SoHo affordable units 5 to 18, $2,000–$5,000/month rental-bylaw penalties, 8,000–20,000 paratransit hours, two-hour free core parking) that is almost entirely self-reported; only his public backing of the downtown plan and the tenant-protection committee vote were independently confirmed in this research.

The independently confirmed tenant-protection item cuts both ways: he pushed to strengthen the renoviction bylaw beyond what passed, and that stronger version failed at committee (Ferreira and Trosow for; Pribil and Peloza against). council minutes (PDF) ↗

Our questionnaire QUESTIONS GOING OUT

Identical questions go to every declared candidate. Answers are published verbatim; “no response” is reported plainly.

WEBSITE ↗COUNCILLOR SITE ↗EMAIL PHONE (EXT. 4013)FACEBOOK ↗INSTAGRAM ↗

Nicholas Saika-Voivod

Born and raised in Ward 13 near the Thames River forks, self-described as "a father, a worker, a tenant, and lifelong student," making his first run for office.

SPECIFICITY2 concrete proposals · 3 aspirational themes

PLATFORM, RECORD & CONTACT▾

Platform — WHAT THEY SAY

Basic housing: use federal and provincial funding to quickly stand up hundreds of transitional housing units in commercial spaces, with centralized worker-support systems (workers, food service, volunteers, reporting, training). — names a specific delivery method; no dollar figures or unit counts beyond "hundreds" Campaign site ↗
City Hall accountability: transparent procurement processes, a whistleblower policy, a lobbyist registry, and greater information access to identify anonymous corporate landlords. — specific named tools; no implementation details published
Deeper affordability: expand co-op, non-profit and supportive-housing stock through London Plan modifications and "incentive stacking," stated explicitly as achievable without tax increases.
Expanding treatment: pursue new research and advanced therapy and detox options, seeking federal investment.
Safe, vibrant downtown: add sanitation amenities and pocket parks, expand indoor public space, increase Coordinated Informed Response (CIR) foot patrols, and promote nightlife.

NOTES

His site states it is "a work in progress" with deeper policy writings promised before October 26 — the platform above reflects the overview-level version read July 3, 2026; re-check for expansions later in the campaign.

Our questionnaire QUESTIONS GOING OUT

Identical questions go to every declared candidate. Answers are published verbatim; “no response” is reported plainly.

WEBSITE ↗EMAIL PHONE INSTAGRAM ↗

Compare side-by-side ▾

	BISSON	CROOK	D'AMELIO	FERREIRA	SAIKA-VOIVOD
DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION	B13 Blueprint (published): track business closure/opening rates, review outcomes of existing downtown programs, set measurable revitalization targets	No position published — platform is about civic-engagement process	Activate vacant storefronts ("storefront first" strategies); expand festivals, patio culture and free public events; leverage UNESCO Music City status	Publicly backed the 10-year, $48M downtown plan council just approved	Sanitation amenities, pocket parks, more indoor public space, CIR foot patrols, nightlife promotion
HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS	Community impact assessments before large approvals; supportive housing tracked on beds-to-staff ratios and operator compliance	No position published	Support mental-health and addiction services; faster response to encampment concerns	Expand Housing First with wraparound services; strengthen tenant protections; gentle density; non-profit and co-op investment	Hundreds of transitional units in commercial spaces; expand co-op/non-profit stock without tax increases
EXPERIENCE	First campaign; years around housing and service delivery (role unstated)	First campaign; ~two decades in business systems, finance, real estate	First campaign; events-business owner in the ward for over a decade	First-term incumbent; Community and Protective Services and Strategic Priorities committees	First campaign; no prior public office

Same rows for every candidate. “No position published” is information too.

The race

This is the largest field covered in this project so far: a first-term incumbent facing four first-time challengers for the seat carrying "the bulk of the troubled downtown core." Ferreira enters with a defined committee record and a detailed list of downtown, housing and homelessness initiatives, though that list is largely self-reported and not fully independently verified. He has visible ownership of the just-approved 10-year, $48M downtown plan.

Two of the four challengers, Bisson and D'Amelio, campaign on safety and accountability themes, without naming Ferreira specifically. Bisson's published B13 Blueprint is the most tracking-and-metrics-heavy platform in the field, though it names oversight mechanisms rather than spending commitments.

Crook's platform stands apart: it is almost entirely about civic-engagement process rather than named downtown policy positions. Saika-Voivod has no record to point to, but offers named delivery mechanisms on housing and accountability tools, and is explicit that his ward roots run deep.

All five candidates converge on downtown revitalization, homelessness and encampments, and core safety as the dominant issues — consistent with this being the one ward where those citywide themes are the central fact of daily life. They differ on how. Ferreira points to incremental, budget-line initiatives and a freshly passed 10-year plan; D'Amelio and Bisson emphasize visible safety measures and accountability for results; Saika-Voivod proposes a faster, structurally different housing-delivery approach; Crook emphasizes process and participation over any specific downtown fix.

Before you go

The rest is showing up

You’ve read the ward. Ward races here can come down to a few hundred ballots, sometimes fewer. In a race that close, your vote is one of the ones that decides it. You don’t need to know everything. You just need to show up, informed.

How to vote in Ward 13

ADVANCE

Oct 1

ADVANCE

Oct 3

ADVANCE

Oct 5–10

ELECTION DAY

Oct 26 · 10 am – 8 pm

You’ll need ID with your name and address. Full voting guide — where, what to bring, who can vote →

WHAT WE COULDN’T CONFIRM YET ▾

All six candidate sites (bisson13.ca, andrewcrook.ca, votestephen.ca, reelectdavid.ca, davidferreira.ca, nsvlondon.ca) were re-read in full on July 3, 2026 via a rendering proxy after confirming each URL returns 200 for a normal browser; extracted platforms matched or expanded what was captured July 2, and platform source links now point to the specific pages (e.g., bisson13.ca/plan, reelectdavid.ca/platform).
The exact December 2024 "minor amendment" to Ward 13's boundary was not identified; the Ward Boundary Review Final Report and the Dec 10, 2024 committee report should be read directly before publishing any specific claim about it.
The Old East Village question is answered as "no — it moves to Ward 1, not Ward 13" with reasonable confidence from multiple sources (CBC's May 1, 2026 nominations story confirms OEV moved out of Ward 4 into Ward 1), but this was not confirmed against the City's authoritative interactive ward map; a direct visual check is recommended.
Ward 13 population (current or post-redraw) was not found in this research pass.
David Ferreira's self-reported record is almost entirely uncorroborated by independent reporting apart from his public backing of the downtown plan and the tenant-protection committee vote; each dollar figure and unit count should be checked against council minutes before being presented as verified fact rather than the candidate's own account.
The BIA security-cost figures are from a November 2023 CBC article about Argyle Road and Hamilton Road BIAs, not Downtown London's own BIA; a downtown-specific, more recent figure was not found.
Schelley Bisson's campaign site still does not specify her professional background (employer or role). Her B13 Blueprint was published by July 3, 2026 with council-level actions for eight priorities and is reflected above, but the site calls it a living plan released in stages — re-check for additions closer to election day.
No dollar figures or specific budget commitments were found for any of the four challengers; platforms typically firm up closer to the vote and should be re-checked after Labour Day.
Some CBC/CTV articles were only accessible via a read-proxy on the July 2 pass; the May 1, 2026 CBC nominations article was re-read in full on July 3 and its Ward 13 claims held up. The June 2026 downtown-plan approval coverage (June 17/23 dates, $48-million figure) still merits a direct read before quoting.
Candidate list reflects the June 30, 2026 snapshot; nominations remained open at research time (close August 21; certification before August 24, 2026).
Some cautions and honest-numbers claims on this page are not yet tied to a linked primary source; they are pending primary-link verification before final publish.