Maria Augimeri

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates {{#invoke:infobox|infoboxTemplate | bodyclass = vcard | bodystyle = {{#if:|width: {{{mainwidth}}}}} | child = {{{embed}}}

| abovestyle = font-size: 100%;

| above = {{#if:|

{{{honorific-prefix}}}

}}

{{#if:Maria Augimeri|Maria Augimeri|Template:PAGENAMEBASE}}

{{#if:|

{{{honorific-suffix}}}

}}

| subheaderstyle = font-size:125%; font-weight:bold;

| subheader = {{#ifeq:{{{embed}}}|yes||{{#if:|{{#if:|

}}{{{native_name}}}{{#if:|

}}}}}}

| image = {{#invoke:InfoboxImage|InfoboxImage|image=Councillor Maria Augimeri portrait (S2311 fl2644 it0001).jpg|size=|sizedefault=frameless|upright=1|alt=|suppressplaceholder=yes}} | image2 = {{#invoke:InfoboxImage|InfoboxImage|image=|size=|sizedefault=frameless|upright=1|alt=|suppressplaceholder=yes}} | image3 = {{#invoke:InfoboxImage|InfoboxImage|image=|sizedefault=frameless|upright=1|alt=|suppressplaceholder=yes}} | captionstyle = line-height:normal;padding-top:0.2em; | caption{{#if:|3|{{#if:|2}}}} = Augimeri in 2008

| headerstyle = color: #202122; {{#ifeq:{{{embed}}}|yes|background:#eee|background:lavender}}

| data1 = {{#if:| {{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}}}Template:Infobox officeholder/office{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| {{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}

| data2 = | header3 = {{#if:Template:Birth year and ageItalyNew Democratic PartyOdoardo Di SantoToronto, OntarioSocial Anthropologist|Personal details}} | label4 = Pronunciation | data4 =

| label5 = Born | data5 = {{#invoke:Separated entries|br

|1 = {{#if:|

{{{birthname}}}

}}

|2 = Template:Birth year and age
|3 = Italy
}}

| label6 = Died | data6 = {{#invoke:Separated entries|br||}}

| label7 = {{#ifexpr: Template:Strfind short

   | Manner |{{#if:|Manner|Cause}} }} of death

| data7 = {{#if:||}}

| label8 = Resting place | class8 = label | data8 = {{#invoke:Separated entries|br||}}

| label9 = Citizenship | data9 =

| label10 = Nationality | data10 = {{#switch:{{#invoke:delink|delink|}} | {{#ifeq:Template:Country2nationality|{{#invoke:delink|delink|}}|{{#invoke:delink|delink|}}}} = | {{#ifeq:Template:Find country|England|British}} = | #default = }}

| label11 = Political party | data11 = {{#switch:New Democratic Party | = | Democrat | Democratic | Democrat = Democratic | Republican | United States Republican Party | Republican | Republican Party = Republican | Conservative Party | Conservative = Conservative | Labour Party | Labour = Labour | Conservative Party | Conservative = Conservative | Liberal Party | Liberal = Liberal | KMT | Kuomintang | KMT | KMT | Kuomintang | Kuomintang (KMT) | Kuomintang (KMT) = Kuomintang | DPP | DPP | Democratic Progressive Party = Democratic Progressive Party | #default = New Democratic Party }}

| label12 = Other political
affiliations | data12 =

| label13 = Height | data13 = {{#if:|Template:Infobox person/height}}

| label14 = Spouse{{#if:|s|{{#invoke:Detect singular|pluralize|Odoardo Di Santo|likely=(s)|plural=s}}}} | data14 = Odoardo Di Santo

| label15 = Domestic partner{{#invoke:Detect singular|pluralize||likely=(s)|plural=s}} | data15 =

| label16 = Relations | data16 =

| label17 = Children | data17 =

| label18 = Parent{{#if:|{{#invoke:Detect singular|pluralize||likely=(s)|plural=s}}|{{#ifexpr:Template:Count > 1|s}}}} | data18 = {{#if:|{{{parents}}}|{{#invoke:list|unbulleted|{{#if:|{{{father}}} (father)}}|{{#if:|{{{mother}}} (mother)}}}}}}

| label19 = Relatives | data19 =

| label20 = Residence{{#invoke:Detect singular|pluralize|Toronto, Ontario|likely=(s)|plural=s}} | class20 = {{#if:||label}} | data20 = Toronto, Ontario

| label21 = Education | data21 =

| label22 = Alma mater | data22 =

| label23 = Occupation | data23 = Social Anthropologist

| label24 = Profession | data24 =

| label25 = Known for | data25 =

| label26 = Salary | data26 =

| label27 = Cabinet | data27 =

| label28 = Committees | data28 =

| label29 = Portfolio | data29 =

| label30 = {{#if:|Civilian awards|Awards}} | data30 =

| label31 = {{{blank1}}} | data31 =

| label32 = {{{blank2}}} | data32 =

| label33 = {{{blank3}}} | data33 =

| label34 = {{{blank4}}} | data34 =

| label35 = {{{blank5}}} | data35 =

| label36 = Signature | data36 = {{#if:|[[File:|{{#if:|{{{signature_size}}}|128x80px}}|class=skin-invert|alt=|Maria Augimeri's signature]]}}

| label37 = Website | data37 = {{#invoke:URL|url}}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:URL with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y | 1 | 2 }}

| label38 = Nickname{{#invoke:Detect singular|pluralize||likely=(s)|plural=s}} | data38 =

| header39 = {{#if:|Military service}}

| label40 = Allegiance | data40 =

| label41 = {{#if:||Branch/service}} | data41 =

| label42 = {{#if:||Years of service}} | data42 =

| label43 = {{#if:||Rank}} | data43 =

| label44 = {{#if:||Unit}} | data44 =

| label45 = Commands | data45 =

| label46 = {{#if:||Battles/wars}} | data46 =

| label47 = {{#if:|Military awards|Awards}} | data47 =

| label48 = {{{military_blank1}}} | data48 =

| label49 = {{{military_blank2}}} | data49 =

| label50 = {{{military_blank3}}} | data50 =

| label51 = {{{military_blank4}}} | data51 =

| label52 = {{{military_blank5}}} | data52 =

| data53 = | data54 = | data55 = | data56 = | data57 = | data58 = | belowstyle = border-top: 1px solid right;

| below =

{{#if:| As of {{{date}}}{{#if:|, {{{year}}}}}}}

{{#if:|Source: [{{{source}}}]}}

}}{{#if:|{{#ifeq:{{#ifeq:|no|yes}}|yes||}} }}{{#if:|{{#ifeq:{{#ifeq:|no|yes}}|yes||}} }}{{#if:|{{#if:||{{#ifeq:{{#ifeq:|no|yes}}|yes||}}}} }}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| regexp1 = 1blankname[%d]* | regexp2 = 1namedata[%d]* | regexp3 = 2blankname[%d]* | regexp4 = 2namedata[%d]* | regexp5 = 3blankname[%d]* | regexp6 = 3namedata[%d]* | regexp7 = 4blankname[%d]* | regexp8 = 4namedata[%d]* | regexp9 = 5blankname[%d]* | regexp10 = 5namedata[%d]* | allegiance | alma_mater | regexp11 = alongside[%d]* | alt | regexp12 = ambassador_from[%d]* | regexp13 = appointed[%d]* | regexp14 = appointer[%d]* | regexp15 = assembly[%d]* | awards | battles | battles_label | birth_date | birth_name | birth_place | birthname | regexp16 = blank[%d]* | bodyclass | branch | branch_label | cabinet | candidate | caption | categories | regexp17 = chancellor[%d]* | children | citizenship | regexp18 = co%-leader[%d]* | commands | committees | regexp19 = constituency[%d]* | regexp20 = constituency_AM[%d]* | regexp21 = constituency_MP[%d]* | regexp22 = convocation[%d]* | regexp23 = country[%d]* | regexp24 = data[%d]* | date | death_cause | death_date | death_manner | death_place | demo | regexp25 = deputy[%d]* | regexp26 = district[%d]* | education | election_date | embed | father | regexp28 = firstminister[%d]* | footnotes | regexp29 = governor[%d]* | regexp30 = governor_general[%d]* | regexp31 = governor%-general[%d]* | height | honorific_prefix | honorific-prefix | honorific_suffix | honorific-suffix | image | image name | image_name_alt | image_size | imagesize | image_upright | incumbent | regexp32 = jr/sr[%d]* | regexp33 = jr/sr and state[%d]* | known_for | regexp34 = leader[%d]* | regexp35 = legislature[%d]* | regexp36 = lieutenant[%d]* | regexp37 = lieutenant_governor[%d]* | mainwidth | regexp38 = majority[%d]* | regexp39 = majority_floor_leader[%d]* | regexp40 = majority_leader[%d]* | regexp41 = majorityleader[%d]* | mawards | regexp42 = military_blank[%d]* | regexp43 = military_data[%d]* | regexp44 = minister[%d]* | regexp45 = minister_from[%d]* | regexp46 = minority_floor_leader[%d]* | regexp47 = minority_leader[%d]* | regexp48 = minorityleader[%d]* | regexp49 = module[%d]* | regexp50 = monarch[%d]* | mother | name | nationality | native_name | native_name_lang | nickname | nocat | regexp51 = nominator[%d]* | nominee | occupation | regexp52 = office[%d]* | opponent | regexp53 = order[%d]* | otherparty | parents | regexp54 = parliament[%d]* | regexp55 = parliamentarygroup[%d]* | partner | party | party_election | portfolio | regexp56 = preceded[%d]* | regexp57 = preceding[%d]* | regexp58 = predecessor[%d]* | regexp59 = premier[%d]* | regexp60 = president[%d]* | regexp61 = primeminister[%d]* | regexp62 = prior_term[%d]* | profession | pronunciation | rank | rank_label | relations | relatives | residence | resting_place | resting_place_coordinates | restingplace | restingplacecoordinates | regexp63 = riding[%d]* | runningmate | salary | serviceyears | serviceyears_label | signature | signature_alt | signature_size | smallimage | smallimage_alt | source | speaker | speaker_office | spouse | spouses | regexp64 = state[%d]* | regexp65 = state_assembly[%d]* | regexp66 = state_delegate[%d]* | regexp67 = state_house[%d]* | regexp68 = state_legislature[%d]* | regexp69 = state_senate[%d]* | regexp70 = status[%d]* | regexp71 = suboffice[%d]* | regexp72 = subterm[%d]* | regexp73 = succeeded[%d]* | regexp74 = succeeding[%d]* | regexp75 = successor[%d]* | regexp76 = taoiseach[%d]* | regexp77 = term[%d]* | regexp78 = term_end[%d]* | regexp79 = term_label[%d]* | regexp80 = term_start[%d]* | regexp81 = termend[%d]* | regexp82 = termlabel[%d]* | regexp83 = termstart[%d]* | regexp84 = title[%d]* | unit | unit_label | regexp85 = vicegovernor[%d]* | regexp86 = vicepremier[%d]* | regexp87 = vicepresident[%d]* | regexp88 = viceprimeminister[%d]* | regexp89 = assuming[%d]* | website | width | year }}

Maria Augimeri (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell, {{#invoke:IPA|main}}; born Template:C.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>) is a Canadian politician. From 1985 to 2018, she served as a local politician in Toronto, holding office as a school board trustee, and as a council member in North York, Metropolitan Toronto, and on Toronto City Council. In 2019, Augimeri stood as the New Democratic candidate for the riding of Humber River-Black Creek.

Background

Born in Italy, Augimeri moved to Canada with her family at the age of 2. Before entering politics, she was a Social Anthropologist at York University. She has written three books on the Italian-Canadian community and is also a published poet.

Politics

She first entered politics as a school trustee, and was elected to the city council of North York in 1985. She ran for the Ontario New Democratic Party in the 1987 provincial election in the riding of Downsview which her husband, Odoardo Di Santo, held for ten years before losing in the 1985 election. She lost to Liberal Laureano Leone by 174 votes.

Augimeri was elected to the Metro Toronto council in 1988, and remained on that council until the creation of the new city of Toronto in 1997. She was elected councillor to the new city council three times. She was known for promoting environmental awareness and cultural issues.

She was endorsed for re-election by the Toronto Star newspaper in 2003.<ref>Template:Cite news </ref>

The local weekly newspaper Now Magazine also gave her an endorsement in 2000.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On August 10, 2008, a massive propane explosion in Augimeri's ward destroyed a propane distribution facility which caused the evacuation of thousands of residents. Augimeri cut short a summer vacation in Italy and returned to Toronto to assist with the situation. During a press conference, she became involved in a heated discussion with Tony Di Santo, head of the local ratepayer's group. She said, "If people have problems of a partisan nature they should not be using the death of a firefighter... So shut up!" Later she apologized for losing her temper.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news and Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

2010 municipal election

The 2010 Toronto municipal election was held on October 25. Augimeri won by an 89-vote margin (0.7%) over local businessman Gus Cusimano. Augimeri thanked her supporters the following day on October 26, 2010, when she said, "I know a lot of the community voted for me because they know I'm the one to protect community interests."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Cusimano later announced that he would challenge the results. The matter was heard in court on March 29, 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The judge ruled that there were enough irregularities in the 2010 voting that the election should be held again. Initially the city's legal staff said they would be appealing the decision but on May 13 it was announced that the city would not launch an appeal. City Clerk Uli Watkiss said in a statement, "The decision to proceed with a by-election and resolve this matter as quickly as possible is in the best interest of the public, the individuals directly affected, and the workings of Council."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The mayor's office supported the decision. Rob Ford's press secretary Adrienne Batra said, "Obviously the mayor supported (Cusimano) during the general election and once the byelection gets under way he will be fully supporting him again."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On May 16, Augimeri announced that she would be appealing the decision herself. Augimeri told media, "The clerk’s advice not to appeal does harm to taxpayers as well as to the integrity of our electoral system."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On August 4, the city reversed its decision and decided to join the appeal which was held in September 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On December 19, the court ruled in Augimeri's favour. A three judge panel ruled that although 300 ballots were unsigned by electoral officers the people voting were very likely eligible to vote and that this would have no effect on the election. In a related judgement, they also ruled that Cusimano incorrectly voted in the Ward 9 election because he lived in another riding. They decided that no further action was necessary.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Augimeri was appointed Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission in February 2014 upon the resignation of Karen Stintz to run for Mayor of Toronto in the 2014 Toronto election winning appointment over Josh Colle, Stintz's preferred successor.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2014 municipal election

In the 2014 election, Augimeri again faced Cusimano, though defeated him by a larger margin (42.74% to 28.37%).

2018 Municipal Election

Following the election of Augimeri's former council colleague Doug Ford as Premier of Ontario, Ford's Progressive Conservative government passed legislation that reduced the number of seats on Toronto City Council from 47 to 25 immediately before the city's scheduled election. The legislation, referred to as the Better Local Government Act, merged wards being contested by Augimeri and another council colleague, James Pasternak. Augimeri lost to Pasternak by over 2000 votes, blaming the reduction in council seats for her loss and noting that she would have won in her old ward.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Augimeri served as the chairperson of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) Board of Directors until February 2019. In July 2019, Augimeri was replaced on the TRCA by a citizen appointee.

2019 Federal Election

In the October 21, 2019 Federal Election, Maria Augimeri was unable to unseat the long time Liberal incumbent in the Humber River-Black Creek riding, Judy Sgro. Ms. Sgro won with 22,983 votes, Ms. Augimeri with the NDP was a distant second at 7,126.

Election results

Municipal

Template:Election table |- !rowspan="2" colspan="2"|Candidate !colspan="3"|Popular vote !rowspan="2" colspan="2"|Expenditures |- ! Votes ! % ! ±% |- | style="background-color:#1406a8;" | | style="text-align:left;" | James Pasternak (Incumbent) | style="text-align:right;" |11,559 | style="text-align:right;" |47.61% | style="text-align:right;" |-57.78% | style="text-align:right;" |$67,212.21 |- | style="background-color:#FF7F00;" | | style="text-align:left;" | Maria Augimeri (Incumbent) | style="text-align:right;" |9,223 | style="text-align:right;" |37.99% | style="text-align:right;" |-4.75% | style="text-align:right;" |$66,209.39 |- | style="background-color:#FF0000;" | | style="text-align:left;" | Louise Russo | style="text-align:right;" |2,726 | style="text-align:right;" |11.23% | style="text-align:right;" | - | style="text-align:right;" |$23,323.98 |- | style="background-color:#b70776;" | | style="text-align:left;" | Edward Zaretsky | style="text-align:right;" |771 | style="text-align:right;" |3.17 | style="text-align:right;" | - | style="text-align:right;" | -¹ |- | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" colspan="2" |Total votes | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |24,279 | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" | | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" | | style="text-align:right;" | |- | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" colspan="2" |Registered voters | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" | | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" | | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" | | style="text-align:right;" | |- | style="text-align:left;" colspan="6" |¹ These candidates did not submit official Financial Statements and are, therefore, ineligible to run in the
2022 Municipal election
Note: All Toronto Municipal Elections are officially non-partisan.
Note: Candidate campaign colours are based on the prominent colour used in campaign items (signs, literature, etc.)
and are used as a visual differentiation between candidates. |- | style="text-align:left;" colspan="13" |Sources: City of Toronto, "Election Results" |}

2014 Toronto election, Ward 9
Candidate	Votes	%
Maria Augimeri	6,373	42.74%
Gus Cusimano	4,230	28.37%
Anthony Fernando	3,367	22.58%
Danny Quattrociocchi	562	3.77%
Ances Hercules	248	1.66%
Wilson Basantes	130	0.87%
Total	14,910	100%

2010 Toronto election, Ward 9<ref>City of Toronto elections page Template:Webarchive</ref>
Candidate	Votes	%
Maria Augimeri	5,452	44.3
Gus Cusimano	5,363	43.6
Gianfranco Amendola	1,082	8.8
Wilson Basantes	259	2.1
Stefano Picone	142	1.2
Total	12,298	100

2006 Toronto election, Ward 9<ref>City Clerk's Official Declaration 2006 Template:Webarchive</ref>
Candidate	Votes	%
Maria Augimeri	7,256	77.6
Vlad Protsenko	2,100	22.4
Total	9,356	100

2003 Toronto election, Ward 9<ref>City Clerk's Official Declaration 2003 Template:Webarchive</ref>
Candidate	Votes	%
Maria Augimeri	7,898	74.1
Anna Oppedisano	1,061	9.9
Richard Baldachino	779	7.3
Annmarie Robb	487	4.5
Domenic D'Abruzzo	422	4.2
Total	10,647	100

2000 Toronto election, Ward 9<ref>Toronto Election Results Ward 9 Template:Webarchive</ref>
Candidate	Votes	%
Maria Augimeri	8,698	72.3
Anna Oppedisano	2,816	23.4
Richard Baldachino	504	4.3
Total	12,018	100

Works

• Italian-Canadians, a cross section. 1978. National Congress of Italian-Canadians. Ottawa.
• Calabrese folklore. 1985. National Museums of Canada. Ottawa.

External links

• Template:TorontoCouncillor
• Template:Official website