Lorna Antwi describes her campaign for Ward 7 as an extension of the service work that has connected her to Humber River–Black Creek for much of her life.
Antwi attended Brookview Middle School and later studied at Seneca Polytechnic at York. She said growing up in Jane and Finch and working with young people through community outreach helped develop what she calls a style of servant leadership—one grounded in empathy, resilience and listening before acting.
That experience now meets her professional work as a counsellor with Toronto Shelter and Support Services. Antwi said she regularly sees residents dealing with housing instability, food insecurity, unemployment and mental-health challenges, including a growing number of seniors whose fixed incomes no longer cover market rent.
Affordability is therefore a central theme of her campaign. Antwi wants the City to be more proactive in protecting renters and to work with the provincial and federal governments on sustainable housing costs. For homeowners, particularly seniors on limited incomes, she said rising property taxes and other household expenses can make remaining in a longtime home increasingly difficult.
She also wants more long-term-care and supportive-housing options. In her shelter work, Antwi said she meets older adults who have lost employment, cannot readily return to the workforce and find that Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security benefits fall short of current rents. Her goal, she said, is to make Ward 7 affordable for renters, homeowners and seniors alike.
Youth employment is another major part of her platform. Antwi is proposing City-supported, paid training that teaches practical job-readiness skills such as time management and customer service, alongside stronger pathways into local employment. She pointed to previous partnership work that helped connect ten young people with jobs at Walmart as an example of how an advocate can bridge the gap between employers and youth.
Antwi would also like entrepreneurship, STEM and robotics opportunities incorporated into community and recreation programming. She said many young people have ideas and ambition but need mentorship, training and a first connection to the people who can help turn those interests into employment or a business.
Across a ward stretching well beyond Jane and Finch, Antwi sees diversity as both a strength and a responsibility. She said communities can sometimes operate in separate silos and wants the councillor’s office to help bring them together through inclusive events, translation, food and cultural celebration. Her vision is for residents from every part of Ward 7 to discover what she calls the area’s many hidden gems.
Antwi’s closing message is that she would be an approachable councillor who listens, follows up and carries residents’ concerns to City Hall. Alongside housing, employment and community safety, she identified neighbourhood infrastructure—including recurring residential flooding—as an issue that requires stronger attention and coordination among governments.
Email: votelornaantwi@gmail.com
Telephone: Not listed by the City Clerk
Website: lornaantwi.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lornaantwi_/
LinkedIn: LinkedIn