Longtime community advocate Jennie Worden stands apart with a progressive vision for Beaches-East York.
For immediate release: August 19th, 2026
JENNIE WORDEN FOR BEACHES-EAST YORK
Longtime Community Advocate Jennie Worden Stands Apart with a Progressive Vision for Beaches-East York
Statement by Jennie Worden, City Council Candidate for Beaches-East York
Toronto | traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples – As the registration period for Toronto’s 2026 municipal elections closes, Jennie Worden’s campaign welcomes all candidates who have stepped forward to run for the office of City Councillor in Beaches-East York.
“Running for office is a commitment I take very seriously,” says Worden, “And I want to welcome and congratulate everyone who has put their name forward.”
“Our communities deserve focussed, committed leadership, and a vigorous, respectful conversation about the future of Beaches-East York– and about how City Hall can make life more affordable, accessible, and connected for all of us.”
Since launching her campaign in May, Worden has focussed on building grassroots support for community-led development, tenants’ rights, public services and programs, missing middle and truly affordable housing, and transparency and accountability from elected officials. A strong presence in Beaches-East York, she has continued to advocate for safer streets for all on Danforth and Kingston Road, to improve public transit by upgrading Line 2 and expanding RapidTO to include the 501 Queen Street and 506 Carlton streetcar routes, and to advance community led housing developments at 72 Amroth Ave and the Coxwell-Danforth Streetcar Barns.
These priorities have shaped Worden’s community activism for the past decade and have shaped her campaign since she registered as a candidate on May 21. Whether volunteering at East End Kids Pride, organizing tenants to fight back, and win, against negligent landlords in Taylor-Massey and on Dawes Road, advocating for safer streets, or campaigning against the expansion of Billy Bishop Airport, Worden’s campaign has delivered principled community advocacy, firmly grounded in the needs of the residents of Ward 19.
Quotes
Janet Davis, former City Councillor for East York, said:
“Jennie Worden is the real deal – progressive, hardworking and smart. I have seen her leadership and integrity in her professional and volunteer work in the arts and culture sector – and most impressive, the energy and commitment she brings in the fight for more inclusive communities, better housing conditions and improved transit and recreation. I know the job – and I know Jennie is the best candidate to be our next City Councillor.”
Ryan Endoh, Chair of the Dawes Road Acorn Tenants' Association, said:
“Jennie has spent countless hours with me inside 500 Dawes Road with tenants and neighbours, and has helped organize our neighbours in demanding better of the City. She brought neighbors together, organized tenants rights workshops, collected data, and has meaningfully contributed to the work that has led to a change in how City Hall deals with negligent landlords. I know that she’ll show up for every community the way she shows up for ours.”
Jennie Worden, Candidate for Councillor in Beaches-East York, said:
“I’m running because Beaches-East York deserves a councillor who shows up, sticks around, listens carefully, and does the work. For the past fifteen years, I’ve been doing that work from outside City Hall – organizing with tenants, working for gender and racial equity in our neighbourhoods and at City Hall, fighting for safer streets, and standing up for public services and our communities. I’m not part of Toronto’s political establishment, and I’m not looking for the next job. I’m here because I love this community, and I’m prepared to stick around and do the work.”
The municipal elections will be held on October 26, 2026.
ABOUT JENNIE WORDEN
Jennie Worden stands at the intersection of arts leadership, community activism, and municipal politics—bringing a rare combination of creative vision, strategic thinking, and grassroots organizing to each of her endeavors. With her distinctive pink hair and unwavering commitment to equity, she has become a recognizable voice for progressive change in Toronto's diverse communities.
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Media inquiries: media@jennieworden.ca
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