These candidates want more diversity on Windsor-Essex councils

There are many racialized candidates running across Windsor-Essex in this municipal election, but it is impossible to say if it's a record. I reached out to all municipalities about it and none of them collect or maintain such demographic information. But candidates think there's more diversity on the ballots this year. This candidate in Windsor says people online are targeting his South Asian identity and making racist and derogatory remarks. So a lot of racist and discriminatory comments were made and they still are coming in. There's constantly comments all the time. Others also had similar experiences dealing with racism, ignorance and prejudice at the doorsteps. I did experience some level of racism. I did have an incident where a gun was pulled on me. In Lakeshore, this candidate has heard a demand for specific amenities of interest to diverse communities. But there used to be a cricket field and it's gone now, which I know that anybody else can't relate to how important, you know, like those kids don't play ice hockey. This mayoral candidate in LaSalle says while the town is diversifying, the council hasn't. Probably nominally at best. So can we see more diversity there? Of course we can, and that is part of the reason that I'm running, certainly. In Amherstburg, this candidate is hoping to make history. If elected, he says he would be the first town councillor with Indian heritage. Fifteen years back, you didn't see a lot of people from different backgrounds running, so not a lot of diversification, not a lot of diversified candidates. But now, take example of Amherstburg. At this moment, we have 15 candidates, the three people of color who are running, which is tremendous this candidate says increasing diversity is important for council to make the best decisions for everyone I think that's very important because the diversity like different culture and then they bring in different solutions and different issues and different problems so the community that want to getting better you don't want to leave one any part of the the groups of the community out so you gotta bring everybody together this expert says As local politics have always had a dominance of white men being elected, getting more diverse candidates is a big hurdle. We do not currently see a lot of equity deserving candidates as councillors, but again, as the demographics change, the potential is there that that will happen. I mean, again, the history tells us that municipal councils tend to favour older, whiter, male candidates. Since candidates are not asked to declare racial information in their applications, experts say the conversation around diversity becomes more of an observation than a statistic, which is problematic. Election Day is Monday. Pratish Dayal, CBC News, Windsor.