ACANTONIUS CLARKETDSB TRUSTEE · WARD 1

TDSB TRUSTEE CANDIDATE · WARD 1

ANTONIUS
CLARKE

Etobicoke North &
Humber River–Black Creek

Safety. Support. Invest.

One caring adult. One good school.
A different future for our kids.

Explore my prioritiesMeet Antonius
Antonius Clarke wearing a grey jacket
ROOTED HERE. COMMITTED HERE.

Raised at Jane & Finch.
Twenty years serving this ward.

VOTE CLARKEMonday, October 26, 2026Make your voting plan

MEET ANTONIUS

A lifetime of showing up.
A future worth investing in.

At 17, I started a youth organization at Jane & Finch. More than twenty years later, it is still going.

I attended Thistletown Collegiate and Westview Centennial. While still a student at Westview, I began work that would grow into restorative justice circles, mentorship, job training and business start-ups.

We have walked young people out of courtrooms and into training, first jobs and businesses of their own. It all points back to one place: the school. That is where a child's future is decided, and that is why I am running.

THE MENTOR

Learning from a pioneer

Mentored by civil rights pioneer Bromley Armstrong, Antonius was taught to let his work speak for itself.

THE PRINCIPLE

“Live clean and let your work be seen.”

His father's rule continues to guide his service to the community.

THE COMMITMENT

The next twenty years

Honoured with Volunteer Toronto's Legacy Award, Antonius wants to put the next twenty years into our schools.

WHAT I WILL ADVOCATE FOR

Our children first.
Four clear priorities.

Safe schools. Support where families already are. Resources that follow need. A voice you can count on.

01

Safety in our schools
and neighbourhoods

Safe schools and safe streets home, for every child.

  • Restorative circles before suspensions.
  • Trained staff who know our kids.
  • School gyms open in the evenings so young people have somewhere safe to be.
02

Wraparound support
for kids and families

Food, mental health and family help, right inside the school.

  • Trauma-informed schools.
  • More child and youth workers.
  • Food, mental health and family support delivered where families already are.
03

Resources and investment
in our schools

Funding by need. Staff restored. Buildings repaired.

  • Funding that follows need rather than postal code.
  • Restore support staff in high-need schools.
  • Move our school buildings up the repair list.
04

A real voice
for our families

You should never have to guess what the board decided.

  • Regular town halls across both communities.
  • Report back in plain language.
  • Carry your questions into every meeting.

WHY THIS WORK MATTERS

The numbers behind the priorities.

Reporting periods and source publications are listed below.

35 in 100

Children living in poverty in Humber River–Black Creek.

2023 data · 2026 report card
Nearly 1 in 4

Children living in poverty in Etobicoke North.

City of Toronto · 2021 Census
6 schools

Local schools in the city's top 50 for student hardship.

TDSB · Learning Opportunities Index 2023
145 jobs

Model Schools positions cut in the 2026–27 staffing plan.

TDSB · 2026–27 staffing plan
$4.45B

Repair backlog across the TDSB.

TDSB · Financial Facts 2024–25
410 incidents

Violent incidents in TDSB schools in 2023–24.

TDSB · Caring & Safe Schools Report
Read the source list and additional context

Half of all suspensions went to students with special education needs, who represent 15 in 100 students. Lower-income Ontarians are more likely to have experienced adverse childhood experiences. Provincial oversight began in June 2025, with legislation reducing Toronto's trustees from 22 to 12.

Sources:

  • Social Planning Toronto — Child & Family Poverty Report Card 2026 (2023 data).
  • City of Toronto — 2021 Census Ward Profile, Etobicoke North.
  • Wellesley Institute — Inequities in ACEs in Ontario (2025).
  • TDSB — 2026–27 staffing plan; Learning Opportunities Index 2023; Caring & Safe Schools Report 2023–24; Financial Facts 2024–25.
  • Putting Student Achievement First Act, S.O. 2026, c. 4.
Read the campaign brochure (PDF)Read the campaign postcard (PDF)

YOUR VOICE. YOUR SCHOOLS.

Vote Monday,
October 26, 2026.

Antonius Clarke
TDSB Trustee · Ward 1

Etobicoke North & Humber River–Black Creek

Make your voting plan

  1. Check your voting location

    Look for the voting information card mailed by the City, or use the official Toronto Elections website.

  2. Check eligibility and identification

    Confirm your eligibility for the TDSB trustee ballot and review the City's accepted identification before you go.

  3. Plan your visit

    Check voting hours and available voting options on the City's website.

Toronto Elections information

ONE TRUSTEE. BOTH OUR COMMUNITIES.

Good schools start
with all of us.

Take a lawn sign. Knock on a few doors.
Tell Antonius what your school needs.

“Email me. I answer every message myself.”

01
Request a lawn sign

Show your support in your neighbourhood.

02
Volunteer with the campaign

Help connect with neighbours.

03
Share what your school needs

Bring your family's questions to the conversation.

START A CONVERSATION

Four questions to ask your principal.

01What staff did our school lose this year?

02Who covers that work now?

03How many students were suspended last year?

04How can parents get involved?